Justice Department sues Harvard for data in admissions probe

The lawsuit is the latest salvo in the Trump administration's standoff with the university over allegations of anti-Jewish bias.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Trump administration is suing Harvard University, accusing the school of refusing to comply with a federal investigation into how race factors into its admissions process. The Justice Department filed the lawsuit in federal court in Massachusetts, seeking to compel Harvard to turn over five years of admissions data.

Why it matters

The lawsuit is the latest development in the ongoing dispute between the Trump administration and Harvard over allegations of discrimination in the university's admissions practices. The administration has accused colleges of continuing to use affirmative action, which the Supreme Court banned in 2023, and is pressing universities across the U.S. to provide detailed admissions data.

The details

In the lawsuit, the Justice Department said Harvard has "thwarted" efforts to investigate potential discrimination. It accused the university of refusing to comply with a federal investigation and asked a judge to order Harvard to turn over the records. The department is seeking data on applicants' grades, test scores, essays, extracurricular activities, and admissions outcomes, along with their race and ethnicity.

  • The Justice Department opened a compliance review into Harvard's admissions practices in April 2025.
  • The department told Harvard to hand over the requested data by April 25, 2025.
  • The Supreme Court barred affirmative action in admissions in 2023.

The players

Harmeet Dhillon

The head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, who said Harvard's refusal to comply is a "red flag" and that "if Harvard has stopped discriminating, it should happily share the data necessary to prove it."

Harvard University

The Ivy League institution that is being sued by the Justice Department for allegedly refusing to comply with a federal investigation into its admissions practices.

Donald Trump

The former president whose administration is pursuing the lawsuit against Harvard over allegations of anti-Jewish bias on campus.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“If Harvard has stopped discriminating, it should happily share the data necessary to prove it.”

— Harmeet Dhillon, Head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide whether to order Harvard to turn over the requested admissions data to the Justice Department.

The takeaway

This lawsuit is the latest development in the ongoing dispute between the Trump administration and Harvard over allegations of discrimination in the university's admissions practices. The administration is pressing colleges across the U.S. to provide detailed admissions data as it seeks to enforce the Supreme Court's 2023 ban on affirmative action.