A federal judge has halted the Trump administration’s push to collect detailed race- and gender-related admissions data from public universities, setting up continued litigation over the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS). U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV ruled the government’s process was “arbitrary and capricious,” and that the rushed timeline would cause “immediate irreparable harm” for institutions. The preliminary injunction applies to public colleges in the 17 states that filed a lawsuit, after the Education Department rolled out ACTS with limited meaningful engagement with schools during the notice-and-comment period. Plaintiffs argued the demand exceeded agency authority under the Administrative Procedure Act and related legal frameworks. The administration framed the request as a way to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that limits race-conscious admissions. The fight is expected to keep forcing universities to divert administrative resources while Congress and the courts decide what data reporting—if any—can proceed. The ruling also highlights broader risk as federal agencies attempt to extend admissions reporting into IPEDS, potentially shaping how compliance burdens are designed for selective institutions.