April 4, 2026 / 12:13 PM EDT / AP
A federal judge on Friday halted the Trump administration’s effort to collect data intended to show that colleges and universities are not considering race in admissions.
U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV in Boston granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit brought by a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general. The injunction applies only to public universities in the plaintiffs’ states.
Saylor said the federal government likely has the authority to gather the information, but criticized the way the requirement was imposed, calling the rollout “rushed and chaotic.” He wrote that the 120-day deadline set by the President prevented the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) from engaging meaningfully with institutions during the notice-and-comment process to address numerous problems with the new requirements.
President Donald Trump ordered the data collection in August after expressing concerns that colleges were using personal statements and other proxies to consider race, which he views as unlawful. In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled against the use of affirmative action in admissions but said colleges may consider how race has shaped applicants’ lives if that information is volunteered in essays.
The states contend the data request risks invading student privacy, could trigger baseless investigations of colleges and universities, and did not allow schools enough time to compile the information. “The data has been sought in such a hasty and irresponsible way that it will create problems for universities,” plaintiff lawyer Michelle Pascucci told the court, saying the effort appeared aimed at uncovering unlawful practices.
The Education Department defended the initiative, saying taxpayers deserve transparency about how federal funds are used at institutions that receive them. The administration’s approach mirrors settlement agreements reached with Brown University and Columbia University, in which the schools agreed to provide the government with data on race, grade-point average and standardized test scores of applicants, admitted and enrolled students, to undergo audits and to publish admissions statistics as a condition of restoring federal research funding.
NCES was ordered to collect new data, including the race and sex of applicants, admitted students and enrolled students. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the data—originally due March 18—must be disaggregated by race and sex and reported retroactively for the past seven years.
The administration has warned that if colleges fail to submit timely, complete and accurate data, McMahon may take action under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which governs institutions that receive federal financial aid.
Separately, the Justice Department has sued Harvard University over similar data, saying the school refused a Justice Department demand for admissions records to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action. Harvard says it has been responding to government requests and is complying with the high court decision. On Monday, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights directed Harvard to comply with the data requests within 20 days or face referral to the U.S. Justice Department.