AG Bonta Blocks Trump Admin Data Demands on Colleges

CA Attorney General Press Releases

Filed March 16th, 2026

Detected March 17th, 2026

Summary

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a court ruling temporarily blocking the Trump Administration's data demands on colleges and universities regarding race and admissions. The ruling prevents the administration from collecting data that the AG's office argues is unreliable and could be used for harmful enforcement actions.

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What changed

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has secured a temporary restraining order from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, blocking the Trump Administration's new requirements for colleges and universities to submit data linking race to admissions, financial aid, and student performance. The Attorney General's office argues that these demands constitute a "fishing expedition" and that the data collected would be unreliable, potentially leading to unwarranted investigations and enforcement actions against educational institutions.

This court ruling provides a temporary reprieve for colleges and universities, preventing them from having to comply with the burdensome data submission requirements. The case highlights concerns about the potential misuse of data for partisan political ends and the broader implications for civil rights enforcement. Regulated entities, specifically educational institutions, should monitor further developments in this case as the legal challenge proceeds.

What to do next

Monitor ongoing legal proceedings regarding the data demands.
Review internal data collection and reporting policies related to race and admissions.

Source document (simplified)

Attorney General Bonta Secures Court Ruling Temporarily Blocking Trump Administration's “Fishing Expedition” into Colleges and Universities

Press Release
Attorney General Bonta Secures Court Ruling Temporarily Bloc…

Monday, March 16, 2026 Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a statement on a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to grant a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump Administration’s burdensome new requirements that colleges and universities submit data linking race to admissions, financial aid, and student performance. While the Trump Administration claims to be seeking this data to assist it in enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, its unprecedented new demands make it all but impossible for colleges and universities to submit usable data for review. Instead, the coalition is concerned that this unreliable data will be used to initiate costly and harmful investigations and enforcement actions against colleges and universities to further partisan political ends.

“With the way this Administration has aggressively worked to roll back civil rights protections, its recent claims of wanting to enforce civil rights laws are more than a little fishy,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I’m pleased the court has put a temporary stop to the Trump Administration’s unprecedented and unrealistic demands for mass troves of education data while we continue to make our case.”