A federal judge halted the Trump administration’s plan to collect student race and other admissions data from colleges in 17 states, issuing a preliminary injunction while the legal fight continues. The order blocks compliance for public institutions covered by a lawsuit filed jointly by states challenging the policy’s legality and implementation timeline. In the ruling, Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts said the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) was likely “arbitrary and capricious,” and that colleges faced “immediate irreparable harm” if forced to comply. The court cited Education Department rejection of comments from college officials and a rushed deadline. ACTS requires selective four-year institutions to submit detailed applicant and admitted-student information—covering race, gender, test scores, grades, and family income—over seven admission cycles. The policy aims to enforce compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative-action decision.