Judge Blocks Trump Administration's College Applicant Race Data Push
A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction halting a 120-day Education Department order to retroactively collect seven years of applicants' race and admissions data while legal challenges proceed.
Straight Arrow NewsJudge blocks Trump admin's efforts to get college data on applicants' race
The Post MillennialFederal judge blocks Trump admin effort to prevent race-based discrimination in college admissions
RedStateNew: Federal Judge Blocks Trump DOJ From Getting States' College Admissions Data
NPRJudge halts Trump effort requiring colleges to show they don't consider race in admissions
Overview
U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV on Friday granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration's order to collect seven years of college applicants' race data from public universities in the plaintiffs' states.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last August directing the Education Department to expand IPEDS to include applicants' race, sex, test scores and family income after the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling on affirmative action.
A coalition of 17 states sued, and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said institutions could not reasonably deliver accurate data within the federal government's rushed timeframe and faced fines, funding losses and baseless investigations.
The Education Department ordered NCES to retroactively report seven years of applicants' race, sex and other data under a 120-day deadline, and the department is being dismantled following a presidential May order.
The Education Department has separately directed Harvard to comply within 20 days or face referral to the Justice Department.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources largely report this ruling neutrally, emphasizing facts, court findings and competing claims rather than taking sides. they quote the judge's critique of the rushed 120‑day timeline and the Massachusetts AG’s objections while also noting the government's stated compliance rationale, balancing critical language (quotes) with factual context about legal authority and process.