Judge Blocks Trump Administration's Demand for College Admissions Data

The ruling halts a rushed effort to collect race-based data from universities across the country.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 5:27pm

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A federal judge in Boston has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration's efforts to require colleges and universities to provide detailed data on the race and sex of their applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students. The judge ruled that the administration's 120-day deadline for collecting the data was 'rushed and chaotic', failing to properly engage with institutions during the notice-and-comment process.

Why it matters

The Trump administration's policy echoes recent settlement agreements that required universities like Brown and Columbia to provide the government with extensive admissions data, which critics argue could lead to baseless investigations and privacy concerns for students. The ruling is a setback for the administration's push to eliminate the consideration of race in college admissions.

The details

The lawsuit was filed by a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general, who argued the data collection effort risked invading student privacy and unfairly targeting colleges and universities. The judge agreed, saying the administration failed to properly consult with institutions before imposing the 120-day deadline to submit the data.

  • The ruling was issued on Friday, April 5, 2026.
  • The Trump administration had originally demanded the data be submitted by March 18, 2026.

The players

Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV

The U.S. District Court judge in Boston who granted the preliminary injunction halting the Trump administration's data collection efforts.

Coalition of 17 Democratic State Attorneys General

The group that filed the lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's policy, arguing it could invade student privacy and unfairly target universities.

President Donald Trump

Ordered the data collection in August 2025 after raising concerns that colleges were using proxies to consider race in admissions, which he views as illegal discrimination.

Linda McMahon

The Education Secretary who said the data, originally due by March 18, must be disaggregated by race and sex and reported retroactively for the past seven years.

Michelle Pascucci

A lawyer for the plaintiffs who argued the data collection effort was 'hasty and irresponsible' and seemed aimed at uncovering unlawful practices.

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What they’re saying

“The data has been sought in such a hasty and irresponsible way that it will create problems for universities.”

— Michelle Pascucci, Lawyer for the plaintiffs

“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.”

— Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV

What’s next

The judge's preliminary injunction will only apply to public universities in the 17 plaintiff states for now. The Trump administration may appeal the ruling or seek to rework the data collection effort in a less 'rushed and chaotic' manner.

The takeaway

This ruling represents a setback for the Trump administration's push to eliminate the consideration of race in college admissions, which critics argue could lead to privacy concerns and unfairly target universities. The judge's decision highlights the need for the government to engage more meaningfully with institutions when implementing new data collection requirements.