Trump’s efforts to collect race-based college admissions data lead to fears of retaliation

The Trump administration is seeking race-based college admissions data from universities, citing compliance with the 2023 Supreme Court decision that struck down affirmative action programs. A federal judge gave colleges until April 6 to comply with the demographics demand, leaving one court case as the final barrier to the administration's access to that information. The White House could use the data to identify and pursue legal action against schools it believes are violating the Supreme Court's ruling by continuing to consider race in admissions decisions. Colleges fear the data collection could enable retaliation against institutions that have attempted to maintain diversity through alternative methods. The dispute represents a major confrontation between the Trump administration and higher education over how schools should implement the Court's affirmative action decision.