The Department of Education launched Title IX investigations into women’s colleges after the Trump administration challenged their admissions policies, arguing they may violate sex-discrimination rules. Smith College faces an investigation over admitting trans women and granting access to women-only spaces including dormitories, bathrooms, locker rooms, and athletic teams, according to the department’s Office for Civil Rights. The department’s position is closely linked to a broader federal push to recognize only two sexes and to narrow the scope of gender identity protections. Smith says it considers applications from students who self-identify as women, and the college has declined to comment while the investigation is pending. Separately, the DOJ escalated its court fight with Minnesota over in-state tuition for eligible undocumented students. A federal judge had dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit, but the DOJ appealed, setting up a new review before the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The dispute hinges on whether state tuition benefits violate federal law, with Minnesota arguing its policy also benefits citizens who meet the same residency criteria.