On Friday, a federal judge, F. Dennis Saylor IV, issued a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration's efforts to collect race-related data from public universities in response to a lawsuit by 17 Democratic state attorneys general. The judge noted that while the federal government likely has the authority to collect such data, the rushed and chaotic manner of the implementation raised significant concerns. The plaintiffs argued that the data collection could invade student privacy and lead to unfounded investigations of universities. The education department defended the initiative, emphasizing the need for transparency regarding federal funding. This ruling comes after the Supreme Court's 2023 decision against affirmative action in admissions, allowing colleges to consider how race has influenced students' lives if disclosed in admissions essays. The education secretary, Linda McMahon, had set a deadline for data submission by March 18, requiring disaggregation by race and sex and retroactive reporting for seven years. Failure to comply could result in actions under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Meanwhile, Harvard University is facing a separate lawsuit for allegedly not providing requested admissions records related to affirmative action compliance.