The U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into Arizona State University over allegations that the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion work violated civil rights law. DOJ said it will review admissions, recruitment, scholarships, tutoring and educational support under Title VI standards, warning that federal funding could be threatened if noncompliance is found. DOJ linked the probe to “recent viral videos” alleging unequal treatment tied to race, color or national origin. DOJ also cited concerns that ASU may have attempted to “hide discriminatory practices from federal scrutiny,” without publicly sharing the videos or detailing their content. The case arrives as the Arizona Board of Regents removed diversity and affirmative action references from policies in June, while the state has not enacted a full DEI ban. DOJ said it is also testing whether public universities are using DEI structures in ways that could trigger legal exposure. For other institutions, the ASU probe signals that compliance risk will increasingly focus on program design details—how recruitment, academic support, and scholarships are administered—rather than broad DEI messaging.