A U.S. federal court has put the brakes on a Trump administration policy that required universities to submit detailed data on incoming students' race, sex and other information.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 4th, F. Dennis Saylor IV, a judge on the U.S. District Court in Boston, Massachusetts, ruled that the Department of Education cannot compel public universities to submit admissions-related data it demanded.
The decision applies to 17 states that filed suit in opposition to the policy. As a result, public universities in those states do not have to submit the related data until a ruling on the merits is issued.
Letitia James, the New York attorney general who led the lawsuit, said, "This action on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) could set a dangerous precedent," adding, "Students and universities should not be forced to submit sensitive personal information."
Earlier, President Donald Trump in Aug. last year directed each university to submit detailed data from the past seven years on applicants' race, sex and test scores. The administration said the measure was intended to check whether universities were appropriately reflecting race in admissions after a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
However, some raised doubts that the request was in effect aimed at determining whether there was reverse discrimination against white applicants. In response, attorneys general, largely from Democratic State Governments, mounted a joint response, leading to the lawsuit.
In its 2023 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court did not impose a blanket ban on so-called "affirmative action" policies, but it did limit consideration of race in admissions. Since then, many universities have said they would maintain their commitment to diversity.
Meanwhile, on the 1st, the court also decided to temporarily halt until mid-month a government measure requiring university groups to submit materials, as legal battles over the issue continue.