Judge halts Trump effort requiring colleges show they don't consider race

U.S. Judge halts Trump effort requiring colleges to show they aren't considering race in admissions April 4, 2026 / 12:13 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google A federal judge on Friday halted efforts by the Trump administration to collect data that proves higher education institutions aren't considering race in admissions.The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV in Boston granting the preliminary injunction follows a lawsuit filed earlier this month by a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general. It will only apply to public universities in plaintiffs' states. The federal judge said the federal government likely has the authority to collect the data, but the demand was rolled out to universities in a "rushed and chaotic" manner."The 120-day deadline imposed by the President led directly to the failure of NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) to engage meaningfully with the institutions during the notice-and-comment process to address the multitude of problems presented by the new requirements," Saylor wrote.President Donald Trump ordered the data collection in August after he raised concerns that colleges and universities were using personal statements and other proxies to consider race, which he views as illegal discrimination.In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled against the use of affirmative action in admissions but said colleges could still consider how race has shaped students' lives if applicants share that information in their admissions essays.The states argue the data collection risks invading student privacy and leading to baseless investigations of colleges and universities. They also argued that universities have not been given enough time to collect the data. "The data has been sought in such a hasty and irresponsible way that it will create problems for universities," a lawyer for the plaintiffs, Michelle Pascucci, told the court, adding that the effort seem was aimed at uncovering unlawful practices.The Edu...