Trump Administration Expands University DEI Investigations to California

LOS ANGELES, United States, 28 March 2025 (BSS/AFP) – President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Thursday that it will launch investigations into the admissions practices of some of California’s leading universities, broadening its ongoing scrutiny of elite educational institutions.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that inquiries have been ordered into the private Stanford University, as well as three of the most prestigious campuses within the University of California system—Berkeley, UCLA, and UC Irvine.

“President Trump and I are committed to eliminating unlawful discrimination and reinstating merit-based opportunities across the nation,” Bondi declared in a statement. “Every student in the United States deserves to be evaluated solely on their diligence, intellect, and character, rather than the colour of their skin.”

A spokesperson for the University of California asserted that racial considerations have not factored into admissions decisions since the passage of a 1996 state ballot measure that prohibited such practices. The representative clarified that while applicants provide race and ethnicity data, this information is collected for statistical purposes only and is not disclosed to admissions reviewers.

Similarly, a spokesperson for Stanford University stated that the institution “promptly took measures to ensure compliance in our admissions processes” following the 2023 US Supreme Court ruling that abolished race-based affirmative action in university admissions.

For years, conservative groups have contended that many of America’s top universities implement policies that unduly favour ethnic minority students, arguing that the emphasis on “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) undermines fairness and disadvantages otherwise well-qualified applicants.

Bondi’s announcement comes at a time when elite universities across the country are facing increased government scrutiny. Earlier this month, the Trump administration withdrew $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University in New York, citing concerns that university officials had failed to adequately protect Jewish students during protests related to Israel’s military actions in Gaza last year.

In response to the funding cut, Columbia University recently introduced new measures, including stricter definitions of anti-Semitism, enhanced policing of campus protests, and closer oversight of specific academic departments, in an effort to mitigate potential further penalties.

Additionally, several students across various institutions have reportedly faced deportation orders, actions which government critics argue are part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent within higher education and to bring left-leaning universities into alignment with the administration’s ideological agenda.