A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from demanding detailed student admissions data from colleges, a mandate that a group of 17 Democratic state attorneys general have argued is unlawful.
The order, from Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV of the Federal District Court in Boston, was a victory for universities, at least for the moment. Schools were facing potential financial penalties if they missed a March 18 deadline to hand over the data.
The 17 attorneys general filed a lawsuit on Wednesday that argued that the administration’s demand for the past seven years of student application data — including information on race, gender, test scores and grade point averages — was rushed. They also said the request created the potential for identifying individual students and revealing personal information, such as financial aid.
Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, applauded the ruling, saying the admissions policy was another front in an attempt to stamp out policies aimed at promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.