A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's effort to collect data proving colleges aren't considering race in admissions. U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV issued a preliminary injunction on Friday, granting a request from 17 Democratic state attorneys general who sued earlier this month.
Key Takeaways
A federal judge blocked Trump's effort to force colleges to prove they aren't considering race in admissions. The injunction applies only to public universities in plaintiff states.
- Judge halts data collection deemed 'rushed and chaotic'
- 17 Democratic AGs sued over privacy concerns and tight deadlines
- Supreme Court banned affirmative action but allowed race discussion in essays
- Harvard faces separate DOJ lawsuit over admissions records
The ruling applies only to public universities in the plaintiff states and comes after President Trump ordered data collection last August. The administration sought seven years of admissions data including race and sex demographics, citing concerns about 'hidden racial proxies' used by universities despite the Supreme Court's 2023 ban on affirmative action.
The judge acknowledged the government's authority to collect such data but criticized its implementation as 'rushed and chaotic.' The 120-day deadline imposed by Trump prevented meaningful engagement with institutions during the notice-and-comment process, according to Saylor. Democratic states argued the hasty collection effort risked invading student privacy and leading to baseless investigations.
The Education Department defended the data demand as necessary for transparency in federally funded institutions. The policy mirrors settlement agreements with Brown University and Columbia University that required similar data disclosure. Harvard University faces a separate DOJ lawsuit over its refusal to provide requested admissions records, with the university maintaining compliance with Supreme Court rulings.
The National Center for Education Statistics was tasked with collecting this expanded data set, which includes detailed demographic information about applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students. The administration threatened potential penalties under Title IV of the Higher Education Act if colleges failed to submit complete and accurate data by March 18. Judge Saylor has granted extensions while considering whether additional injunctions are warranted for other institutions.
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