• Trump mandates universities disclose detailed admissions data to assess race considerations.
• The move aims to ensure compliance following the Supreme Court's ruling against affirmative action.
• Education Secretary Linda McMahon instructed the National Center for Education Statistics to gather this data.
• The American Council on Education warns that the data collection may be illegal under current ruling.
• Columbia and Brown universities are already set to report these details as part of legal settlements.

President Trump has signed a memorandum requiring U.S. universities to collect and submit admissions data to demonstrate they do not consider race when making admissions decisions. This requirement follows a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that deemed affirmative action unlawful but allowed universities to use "diversity statements" from applicants outlining their racial experiences. The White House argues that existing practices raise concerns about potential illegal use of race in admissions decisions, citing "the persistent lack of available data" that requires transparency, according to NPR and Channel News Asia.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon has directed the National Center for Education Statistics to collect detailed information about applicants' race and gender, as well as data on admitted students and those enrolled. This move is seen as part of the Trump administration's wider effort to dismantle affirmative action policies and crackdown on diversity initiatives at universities that the administration claims discriminate against certain demographics, as highlighted by South China Morning Post and The Jakarta Post.

Despite the memorandum's intent, the American Council on Education argues that the directive's vague wording raises legal concerns. Jonathan Fansmith, a senior vice president with the organization, stated that collecting race data would conflict with the Supreme Court ruling and seems like an attempt to acquire information that institutions cannot legally gather. He said, "You can't consider race in admissions, so schools don’t collect data on race from applicants," according to Channel News Asia and South China Morning Post.

Trump's administration has taken a strong stance against what it terms "woke" policies in higher education, targeting institutions like Columbia University, which recently reached settlements requiring them to disclose detailed admissions data, including race and test scores, as part of legal agreements regarding anti-discrimination laws. Critics argue this could lead to significant changes in how universities structure their admissions processes moving forward, as stated in reports by Channel News Asia and The Jakarta Post.