New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) and 16 other State Attorneys General Sued the Trump (R) Administration 3/11/2026, Asking the Court to Block a Federal Mandate about College Data Collection. Officials from the Coalition of States Filed Suit in Federal Court, because the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) wants Seven Years of Student Admissions Data by 3/18/2026.
In 1/2025, Trump Signed Executive Orders Banning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Programs Across the Federal Government. In 8/2025, Another Trump Missive Accused Colleges of Hiding Illegal Admissions Policies behind Diversity Statements.
To that Eend, Education Secretary Linda McMahon (R) Ordered DOE to Collect Data on the Race and Sex of All Applicants and Admitted and Enrolled Students. The Mandate requires Schools to Report Student Test Scores, Grade Point Averages, First-Generation Sstatus, and Financial Aid Details for Each Group to DOE, Broken Down by “Race-and-Sex Pair.”
“We will not allow institutions to blight the dreams of students by presuming that their skin color matters more than their hard work and accomplishments,” McMahon said in 8/2025. In 12/2025, the Federal Government Updated its Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, which Collects Annual Statistical Data from Colleges, Universities, and Vocational Programs, with a Survey.
The White House said that Insufficient Data and Diversity Statements raised Concerns about Illegal Racial Discrimination, and that the Surveys would Identify Schools that Pass on Qualified Students because of Diversity Quotas. Trump said in 8/2025 that the Survey is Necessary to Monitor how well Colleges that would consider Race in Admissions Align with the Supreme Court’s 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard Decision.
James and the other States Argued that the Feds Rolled-Out the Survey in a Rushed Attempt to Target DEI. According to the Lawsuit, Requiring New Data represents a Burden on Institutions Across the Country. Smaller Academic Programs or Graduate Schools don’t Centrally Track such Data, the Coalition said, and they Lack the Resources to Comply.
The Plaintiffs said Workers won’t have enough Time to Gather Years of Complex Information using New, Untested Reporting Systems. They also Warned that the Super Specific Demographic Categories could End-Uup Doxxing Individual Students Accidentally.
“Colleges and universities should not be forced to turn over massive amounts of sensitive student data to satisfy another witch hunt,” James said in a Press Release Announcing the Lawsuit. “We are going to court to stop this unlawful mandate and protect institutions and students across the country.”
Still, the Complaint has almost No New York-Specific Arguments. In Her Press Release, James Specifically Highlighted the State University of New York and the City University of New York, as Examples of Institutions that were Unfairly Targeted.
DOE Defended the Timeline in October, Blaming the Accelerated Schedule on Trump’s Presidential Memorandum. If Schools don’t Submit the Data, DOE said it would Fine them as much as $71,545 per Violation or even Void Student Aid.
According to the Lawsuit, Skipping Standard Testing and Public Review Periods Violates the Administrative Procedure and Paperwork Reduction Acts. The Attorneys General asked the Court to Declare the Mandate Unlawful and Stop the Feds from Penalizing Noncompliant Schools.
New York Tax Returns Feature New Child Credits and Inflation Refund Requirements. The other States in the Coalition of Plaintiffs are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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