Nevada AG Sues Trump Administration Over Data Demand

Detected March 21st, 2026

Summary

The Nevada Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging an unlawful data demand made to colleges and universities. The suit aims to stop the administration from compelling educational institutions to provide sensitive student and faculty data.

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What changed

The Nevada Attorney General's office has initiated legal action against the Trump administration, specifically targeting a data demand issued to colleges and universities. The lawsuit asserts that this demand is unlawful and seeks to prevent the federal government from obtaining sensitive information from these educational institutions. The specific nature of the data sought and the legal basis for the challenge are central to the litigation.

This action has significant implications for educational institutions, potentially impacting their data privacy obligations and their relationship with federal regulatory bodies. Compliance officers at affected institutions should review their data handling policies and be aware of the ongoing legal proceedings. While no specific compliance deadline is mentioned, the lawsuit itself represents a direct challenge to federal authority, and institutions may need to consult legal counsel regarding their response to any similar data requests.

What to do next

Review data handling policies for compliance with federal and state privacy laws.
Monitor legal developments in the case between Nevada AG and the Trump administration.
Consult legal counsel regarding responses to federal data requests.

Source document (simplified)

Attorney General Ford Sues Trump Administration to Stop Unlawful Data Demand to Colleges and Universities

New Department of Education Data Reporting Requirements Jeopardize Student Privacy and Threaten Baseless Investigations of Colleges and Universities

Mar. 11, 2026

Carson City, NV – Today, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general in challenging the Trump Administration’s demand that higher education institutions provide new data via a recently added component to the Integrated Postsecondary Education System (IPEDS), a collection of interrelated surveys administered by the Department of Education. The purpose of this new survey is to track institutions’ compliance with the Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which says that race cannot be used as a factor in admissions. The coalition argues the rushed implementation of the new survey requirements leaves institutions vulnerable to inadvertent errors and unreliable data that could lead to costly penalties and baseless investigations into their practices, and that it jeopardizes student privacy by requesting in-depth information about individual students.

“The federal government cannot rush out vague mandates, demand years of sensitive student data, and threaten penalties when institutions cannot decipher what is being asked of them,” said Attorney General Ford. “This unlawful directive risks student privacy and opens the door to baseless investigations of colleges and universities. We are standing up to ensure the law is followed and Nevada’s students are protected.”

Administered through the Department of Education (ED), IPEDS is a mandatory survey that gathers data from colleges, universities, and technical and vocational programs participating in federal student financial programs. Since 1986, it has served as a valuable tool for reliable data collection and statistical reporting by universities. On August 7, 2025, President Trump issued a memo stating that IPEDS would now become a tool to track “consideration of race in higher education” and investigate universities’ compliance with Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.

Following the memo, ED Secretary Linda McMahon announced new requirements for institutions demanding they report data via IPEDS disaggregated by race and sex and retroactively report data from the past seven years. On December 18, 2025, following a notice and comment period in which members of the coalition provided comments strongly opposing the new rules, the Trump Administration finalized the new requirements. The deadline for institutions to provide the new data is March 18, 2026.

In the lawsuit, AG Ford and the coalition argue that the ED’s rushed implementation of the new data requirements ignores the incredible burden they place on institutions and dramatically increases the possibility of inadvertent reporting errors and unreliable data. For example, in their haste to roll out the new requirements, ED failed provide definitions for critical terms, leaving universities guessing what information they are supposed to provide, and facing severe financial penalties if they guess wrong. Furthermore, the Trump Administration has eliminated hundreds of positions within ED, including within the very offices responsible for providing clarity about the requirements to universities.

Moreover, the coalition argues the new data demands jeopardize student privacy and could lead to individuals being easily identified. Many institutions have data protection obligations to their students, which are placed at risk by the Administration’s new IPEDS demands.

The attorneys general argue the Trump Administration’s actions are contrary to law, fail to observe the procedure required by law, and are arbitrary and capricious. They argue the implementation of the new data requirements was unlawful and will place an undue burden on colleges and universities.

Joining Attorney General Ford in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington.

Click here for a copy of the complaint.