A federal judge temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Education from enforcing a deadline requiring public colleges in 17 states to submit admissions data broken down by race and sex. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor concluded that the collection was generally within the department’s legal authority but found the rushed timeline likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act. The court previously delayed the deadline twice, and it extended timing for institutions associated with a pending request to join the lawsuit. The data request stems from a Trump directive calling for colleges to submit broad admissions and enrollment data to NCES, framed as enforcing the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision striking down race-conscious admissions policies challenged in litigation. The injunction is likely to slow compliance timelines for institutional research and reporting operations while legal challenges continue through hearings scheduled later this month.