Trump targets college affirmative action — DOJ, start here

Justice Department to End Affirmative Action in Education

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is taking a stand against affirmative action and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in education. However, top universities are resisting compliance with the law, making it a challenging task for the new Attorney General Pam Bondi.

On her first day in office, Bondi announced that educational institutions must adhere to the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which prohibits the use of affirmative action in college admissions.

Bondi emphasized in a memo that institutions receiving federal funds cannot discriminate against students based on race.

Despite the Supreme Court ruling, elite universities have continued to use race-based preferences in admissions, particularly favoring black and Hispanic applicants over Asians. The previous administration did not enforce the law, allowing universities to bypass it.

Some universities are likely to defy Bondi’s directive and find ways to maintain racial preferences in admissions, similar to the University of California’s alleged actions that have been ongoing for decades.

Universities Under Scrutiny

The Department of Justice should closely monitor universities like Yale, which has been accused of discriminating against Asian-American applicants in favor of other racial groups. Despite legal action taken against Yale, there are claims that the institution continues to violate anti-discrimination laws.

Other universities such as Princeton, Duke, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Vanderbilt, and more, also need to be investigated for their admissions practices that may involve racial favoritism.

Additionally, universities that have introduced diversity-related essay questions in their applications to gather information on students’ race and ethnicity for admissions decisions should be monitored for potential violations of the law.

Congressional Republicans can support the Justice Department’s efforts by holding universities accountable for their admissions practices and ensuring compliance with anti-discrimination laws.

In conclusion, the enforcement of the law regarding affirmative action in education is crucial, and universities must abide by the regulations to ensure fairness and equality in the admissions process.

Renu Mukherjee is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute.