Judge Saylor blocks Trump admissions data demand in 17 states

U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV in Boston granted a preliminary injunction on April 4, 2026, blocking the Trump administration from forcing public colleges in 17 Democratic states to submit seven years of race- and gender-disaggregated admissions data. Saylor found the 120-day deadline was "rushed and chaotic" and that the Department of Education's failure to engage meaningfully with public comments made the demand likely arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. The ruling protected schools in California, New York, Massachusetts and 14 other states.