The Trump administration has opened investigations into Stanford University and three University of California campuses—Berkeley, UCLA, and Irvine—focused on whether their admissions policies comply with the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action. US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is leading the effort, says she and President Trump "are dedicated to ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity across the country." The Trump administration has threatened to revoke federal funding from schools over such what it calls "race-based preferences," the AP reports.
Stanford University said that immediately after the Supreme Court ruling, it ensured its admissions process was in compliance, and added, "We continue to be committed to fulfilling our obligations under the law." The University of California also issued a statement saying race and ethnicity are not considered in admissions, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. California banned such considerations from college admissions at public institutions with Proposition 209 in 1996, but the Supreme Court ruling extended that to include private colleges.
Separately, the US Department of Education is investigating 52 universities for alleged racial discrimination, linked to partnerships with a nonprofit assisting students of color in obtaining doctoral degrees. Additionally, the US Department of Health and Human Services says it is examining racial discrimination concerns in admissions at a major California medical school, which it did not name. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)