Trump’s justice department is weaponizing civil rights laws against students of color The Department of Justice’s civil rights division is accused of weaponizing its authority, issuing sham findings against UCLA and Yale medical schools for admitting Black and Hispanic students. These actions are seen as politically motivated attacks that undermine civil rights advances and ignore the systemic obstacles faced by students of color. The administration’s approach misinterprets legal precedents and neglects factors like socioeconomic status, while simultaneously weakening the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

• The DOJ’s civil rights division is accused of politicizing its actions and targeting people of color.
• Sham discrimination findings were issued against UCLA and Yale medical schools for admitting Black and Hispanic students.
• The DOJ’s conclusions on test scores and GPAs are criticized for being statistically insignificant and ignoring other application factors.
• The DOJ misinterprets the Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard ruling, suggesting race cannot be considered at all.
• Systemic issues like resource disparities, economic insecurity, and the need for students to work are ignored.
• The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has seen staff cuts and a significant reduction in resolved complaints under this administration.
• The administration is accused of twisting civil rights laws to exclude certain groups rather than foster inclusion.