Inside the next legal battle over race in college admissions

A court battle is underway over the Trump administration's effort to collect college admissions data. The administration has expanded the scope of admissions information that colleges must submit, sparking concerns that it could be used to discriminate against applicants. The data collection is part of a broader effort to scrap diversity measures and focus on meritocracy. However, opponents argue that the rushed implementation of the new survey requirements could lead to errors and unreliable data. Colleges have been barred from considering race in admissions since 2023. The Trump administration's move has intensified scrutiny of schools and their admissions process. A hearing is set to take place in Massachusetts, where a judge will consider a bid from 17 Democratic attorneys general to block the data collection. The attorneys general argue that the data collection could lead to costly penalties and investigations for schools.