WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is suing Harvard University, alleging that it has failed to provide critical admissions records requested by the Justice Department. This initiative aims to ensure that the prestigious institution curtails its use of affirmative action in its admissions process.
Filed on Friday in federal court in Massachusetts, the lawsuit accuses Harvard of obstructing the ongoing investigation into potentially discriminatory practices. The department seeks a court order to compel Harvard to comply and submit the necessary records.
Harmeet Dhillon, leading the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, indicated that Harvard’s non-compliance is concerning. “If Harvard has stopped discriminating, it should gladly provide the data required to demonstrate that,” Dhillon stated.
Harvard has yet to respond publicly to this legal challenge.
This suit represents the latest chapter in a long-standing contention between President Donald Trump and Harvard, which has faced substantial financial repercussions following its refusal to meet the administration's demands last year.
The administration claims to be taking steps against Harvard based on allegations of anti-Jewish bias on campus. In return, Harvard insists it is under unconstitutional retaliation for not aligning with the administration’s ideological positions. This lawsuit follows judicial decisions that have previously favored Harvard.
The Justice Department's investigation into Harvard’s admissions practices began in April 2025, coinciding with a series of sweeping demands issued by the White House that aligned with Trump's policy initiatives. The agency requested extensive admissions data from the past five years, encompassing various metrics including applicant grades, test scores, and demographic information.
Specifically, the lawsuit notes that Harvard was asked to provide detailed data regarding race, ethnicity, and admissions outcomes, yet has failed to comply.
Officials from the Justice Department argue that this data is crucial to ascertain whether Harvard has indeed ceased taking race into consideration when evaluating applicants. In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action, indicating that similar practices at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unconstitutional.
Despite claims from Trump officials accusing higher education institutions of continuing discriminatory practices, Harvard's officials maintain they are facing unwarranted retaliation for their decisions. The ongoing tension comes amid pressures on universities across the country to provide comparable admissions data to affirm compliance with the Supreme Court ruling.
While Trump has expressed intentions of resolving disputes with Harvard regarding federal funding, conflicts have reignited, with further demands impacting negotiations.
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