The U.S. Department of Justice opened a compliance review into UC San Diego School of Medicine admissions practices and alleges the school discriminated against White and Asian applicants. The DOJ alleges UC San Diego used race-linked advantages via terms such as “hardship,” “disadvantage,” and “distance traveled” that it characterizes as proxies for race. If the school fails to return to compliance after settlement talks, the DOJ said it will sue. The allegation is part of a broader Trump administration push to curtail race-conscious admissions practices, particularly after the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision that prohibited race-conscious college admissions. UC San Diego said it does not consider race or ethnicity as criteria for selection. The case adds new pressure on medical school admissions offices still interpreting how to comply with federal civil-rights law under state bans.