A federal judge in Massachusetts on Friday blocked the Trump administration’s effort to force public colleges and universities in 17 states to hand over detailed race-based admissions data.
U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor found that the Department of Education likely has the authority to “collect, analyze, and make use of the data,” but the process was performed in a “rushed and chaotic manner.”
“The manner in which [National Center for Education Statistics] handled that process simply cannot be squared with the requirements of the [Administrative Procedure Act] — and, indeed, epitomizes arbitrary and capricious agency action,” Saylor wrote.
He granted a preliminary injunction to the 17 Democratic-led states that challenged President Trump’s executive order from August, which directed the Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “expand the scope of required reporting to provide adequate transparency into admissions” within 120 days.