Trump administration opens investigations into 4 California universities over their admission policies

The Trump administration has opened investigations into the admissions policies at Stanford University and three campuses within the University of California system, including UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Irvine, the Department of Justice said Thursday.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed the department's Civil Rights Division to investigate whether the schools' policies comply with the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action in college admissions, the department said in a statement.

Since taking office in January, President Trump has attempted to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs that his administration says exclude White and Asian American students. The administration has warned schools and colleges they could lose federal money over "race-based preferences" in admissions, hiring, scholarships and all aspects of campus life.