Democratic-led States Sue To Block Trump’s Requirement For Race Data From Colleges
A group of seventeen Democratic-led states has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration’s mandate requiring universities to submit data proving they are no longer considering race as a factor in admissions decisions. The states argue that the U.S. Department of Education does not have the legal authority to implement the changes and are challenging the new data collection requirements in federal court.
The legal battle centers around a new component of mandatory annual surveys administered by the Department of Education, designed to assess colleges’ compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that ended affirmative action in higher education. The lawsuit was filed on March 11, 2026, in the federal district court of Boston.
The Disputed Survey Changes
The revised surveys, mandated by the Trump administration, are intended to collect data on the race and sex of students. The changes were introduced following President Trump’s memorandum in August 2025, which raised concerns about the “rampant use of ‘diversity statements'” and other “racial proxies” in college admissions.
According to the administration, this new data would help track whether race-based considerations continue to influence admissions processes after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision.
However, critics—including the states involved in the lawsuit—argue that the Department of Education lacks the statutory authority to add these new data collection requirements. They also contend that the department violated the Administrative Procedure Act by bypassing proper procedures, such as conducting privacy impact assessments required by the E-Government Act of 2002 and the Paperwork Reduction Act.
States’ Concerns Over Timeline and Accuracy
The lawsuit claims that the accelerated timeline imposed by the Education Department is unreasonable. Universities are required to submit race and sex data on the undergraduate applicant pool and enrollment by March 18, 2026, with data covering the 2025-2026 academic year as well as six previous years.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, one of the plaintiffs in the case, described the deadline as “arbitrary” and expressed concern that colleges would struggle to provide accurate data in such a short timeframe.
“There’s no way for institutions to reasonably deliver accurate data in the federal government’s rushed and arbitrary timeframe,” Campbell said in a statement.
Political Reactions and Legal Proceedings
The dispute has drawn sharp reactions from Democratic leaders, with New York Attorney General Letitia James accusing the Trump administration of using the mandate to “serve its own political agenda” and target Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
The case has been assigned to Senior U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor, a George W. Bush appointee. The plaintiffs hope that the court will block the new survey components, arguing that they are an unlawful overreach by the federal government.
The Department of Education, which did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, is standing by its decision. The changes were made after an August memorandum from Trump, which emphasized the need for data to assess whether racial factors were still being used in college admissions despite the Supreme Court ruling.
The legal dispute highlights ongoing tensions over the role of race in college admissions and broader debates about DEI policies. As the deadline for colleges to submit the required data approaches, the outcome of this case could have significant implications for the future of higher education admissions practices in the United States.
The case is titled Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. U.S. Department of Education, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, No. 1:26-cv-11229.
