Judge halts Trump effort requiring colleges to show they aren’t considering race in admissions
BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge has halted the Trump administration’s efforts to collect data proving that higher education institutions do not consider race in admissions.
Here’s what U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV in Boston ruled Friday on the preliminary injunction: a case It was filed earlier this month by a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general. It will only be valid for the plaintiff state universities
The federal judge said the federal government likely had the authority to collect the data, but the request was delivered to the universities in a “hurried and chaotic” manner.
“The 120-day deadline imposed by the President directly led to NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) being unable to meaningfully engage with institutions during the notice and comment process to address the multitude of issues raised by the new requirements,” Saylor wrote.
President Donald Trump ordered the data collection in August after voicing concerns that colleges and universities were using personal statements and other proxies to take into account race for what he viewed as illegal discrimination.
In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled against the use of this substance. affirmative action in admissions But he said colleges can still consider how race shapes students’ lives if applicants share that information in their admissions essays.
The states argue that the data collection risks violating students’ privacy and leading to unfounded investigations at colleges and universities. They also argued that universities were not given enough time to collect data.
“The data was sought in such a hasty and irresponsible manner that it would create problems for the universities,” plaintiffs’ attorney Michelle Pascucci told the court, adding that the effort was aimed at uncovering unlawful practices.
The Department of Education defended the effort, arguing that taxpayers deserve transparency about how money is spent at institutions that receive federal funding.
The administration’s policy resonates compromise agreements the government negotiated Brown University And Columbia UniversityThey get their federal research money back. Universities agreed to provide the government with data on the race, GPA and standardized test scores of applicants, admitted students and enrolled students. The schools also agreed to be audited by the government and to publicly publish admissions statistics.
The National Center for Education Statistics will collect new data, including the race and gender of college applicants, accepted students and enrolled students. Education Minister Linda McMahon said the data, which must first be submitted by March 18, must be disaggregated by race and gender and reported retrospectively for the past seven years.
If colleges fail to submit timely, complete and accurate data, the administration said McMahon could take action under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which sets requirements for colleges that receive federal financial aid for students.
Trump administration separately A lawsuit was filed against Harvard University Based on similar data, he said, the Justice Department refused to provide the admissions records it requested to get the school to stop affirmative action. Harvard said the university responded to the government’s requests and was in compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action. On Monday, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights ordered Harvard to comply with data requests within 20 days for a face referral to the U.S. Department of Justice.
