The federal government has trained its sights on several prominent California institutions, notably including UCLA and UC Irvine, investigating whether their admissions policies improperly factor in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), as reported by NBC Los Angeles. This move is a direct result of a Supreme Court ruling that prohibits the use of DEI in college admissions, reinforcing the Trump administration's commitment to what it describes as merit-based opportunity.
Though there has been no immediate response from the implicated universities, this scrutiny extends beyond UCLA and UC Irvine—Stanford University and UC Berkeley are also under compliance review, an initiative helmed by Attorney General Pamela Bondi who stated, "Every student in America deserves to be judged solely based on their hard work, intellect, and character, not the color of their skin," in a Justice Department release.
There's a strategic shift happening as the University of Southern California has discarded the term "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" in favor of the more neutral "community," a move likely aimed at aligning with the federal mandate and sidestepping the controversy that DEI has engendered.
The Department of Justice, through Acting Associate Attorney General Chad Mizelle, emphasized an end to what they term a "shameful system" where an applicant's race could eclipse their abilities, stating "The Department of Justice will put an end to a shameful system in which someone’s race matters more than their ability." The investigations into these academic policies signal the first wave of a larger effort to systematically dismantle illegal DEI practices.
