Trump’s war on DEI: Stanford, UCLA investigated over race-based admission policies
US President Donald Trump stands in the presidential box as he tours the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on March 17, 2025. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)
The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday announced it has launched investigations into Stanford University and three campuses of the University of California to determine whether their admissions practices violate Supreme Court rulings against the use of race in admissions decisions.
The inquiry targets Stanford University, along with the University of California campuses at Berkeley, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Irvine.
“President Trump and I are dedicated to ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity across the country,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Every student in America deserves to be judged solely based on their hard work, intellect, and character, not the color of their skin.”
The department said the investigations aim to determine whether the schools are still factoring race into admissions despite the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision striking down affirmative action in higher education.
Stanford responded by saying it took immediate steps to comply with the ruling and emphasized its commitment to lawful admissions practices. “We look forward to learning more about their concerns and responding to the department’s questions,” the university said.
The department accused elite institutions of continuing to prioritize “racial quotas over equality of opportunity,” arguing that diversity-focused policies have led to discrimination in the name of inclusion.
“These compliance investigations are just the beginning of the Department’s work in eradicating illegal DEI and protecting equality under the law,” it said, referencing its crackdown on race-conscious Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.
The move follows a wave of federal scrutiny into college admissions. The Department of Education earlier opened investigations into 45 universities over potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits race-based discrimination in federally funded programs.
The Trump administration has ramped up its efforts to dismantle race-based policies in education and employment, saying they amount to reverse discrimination. Critics, however, say the rollback threatens to undo decades of progress in addressing systemic inequality.
