The US Justice Department sues Harvard to obtain admissions data, escalating a long-running dispute over alleged discrimination and federal funding.

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against Harvard University to compel the release of student admissions data.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that “Harvard has failed to disclose the data we need to ensure that its admissions are free of discrimination.”

This legal action represents the latest escalation in a protracted conflict between the administration and the elite institution. The Justice Department clarified that the suit seeks documents related to any consideration of race in admissions.

It does not formally accuse Harvard of racial discrimination. The investigation follows a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that barred the consideration of race in college admissions.

The administration is examining whether any US schools are now discriminating against white applicants. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon argued that “if Harvard has stopped discriminating, it should happily share the data necessary to prove it.”

The lawsuit coincides with other aggressive measures against the university. President Donald Trump recently demanded Harvard pay USD 1 billion in damages.

He alleged the university failed to sufficiently protect Jewish students during pro-Palestinian protests. Trump declared on his Truth Social platform, “We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University.”

The Pentagon subsequently cut all academic ties with Harvard just days later. The administration has previously sought to cut over USD 2.6 billion in federal funding to the university.

It has also moved to block the entry of international students, who constitute a quarter of Harvard’s student body. These earlier moves have been temporarily blocked by the courts.

 The Sun Malaysia