Stanford, UC Berkeley investigated over "illegal DEI" in admissions
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Pedestrians walk on the Stanford University campus. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Stanford and UC Berkeley are among the four California universities being investigated in a new federal probe launched Thursday over "illegal DEI" admissions practices.
Why it matters: President Trump has threatened to cut federal funding from schools that use race as a determining factor in their admissions, after alleging that such "discriminatory practices" are being used to exclude some white and Asian American students.
State of play: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is directing the department's Civil Rights Division to determine if the universities' admission policies comply with the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling overturning affirmative action.
- UCLA and UC Irvine are also included in the investigation.
The big picture: The investigation is the latest effort by the Trump administration to gut diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming, policies and initiatives.
What they're saying: "President Trump and I are dedicated to ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity across the country," Bondi said in a statement. "Every student in America deserves to be judged solely based on their hard work, intellect, and character, not the color of their skin."
- The move is part of a campaign to end a decades-long practice of elite colleges and universities "prioritizing racial quotas over equality of opportunity, dividing Americans and discriminating against entire groups of applicants," according to the press release.
The other side: Following the 2023 SCOTUS decision, Stanford "immediately engaged in a comprehensive and rigorous review to ensure compliance in our admissions processes" and remains "committed to fulfilling our obligations under the law, and we will respond to the department's questions as it conducts this process," university spokesperson Luisa Rapport told Axios.
- The UC System's admissions practices have been complying with California's ban against affirmative action since 1996 when voters approved Proposition 209, according to Rachel Zaentz, a spokesperson at the University of California Office of the President.
- While the university system collects students' race and ethnicity, that information is used only for statistics and not for admissions, Zaentz said.
- "We remain committed to expanding access for all qualified students,"she added.
Catch up quick: The latest move comes just weeks after Trump issued a warning to 60 colleges, including UC Berkeley and Stanford, that their federal funds could be cut if they don't address allegations of antisemitic harassment on campus.
- The move also follows a separate look into 45 schools over allegations that they participated in "race-exclusionary practices" in their graduate programs.
What's next: The investigations into these universities is "just the beginning" of the Trump administration's actions targeting DEI practices in higher education, Bondi's statement reads.