The Justice Department May Sue Colleges Over Use Of Affirmative Action In Admissions

The Department of Justice has been busy in its vendetta against gang activity and illegal immigration in the United States since Donald Trump took office just over six months ago, but now the president would like to allocate resources to diving into what he believes are discriminatory practices in college admissions departments throughout the country.

The reason? The Trump administration feels that colleges may be using affirmative action policies to "discriminate against white applicants," according to The New York Times.

It is important to note, however, that the document obtained by the Times on Monday does not specifically mention "white applicants."

The Times reports that an internal document circulated throughout the DOJ asking if any lawyers wanted to work on "investigations and possible litigation related to intentional race-based discrimination in college and university admissions." Though university-related matters are typically run through the Educational Opportunities Section, the Times writes that this particular division will be handled by the civil rights division, which is comprised of Trump's political appointees.

Currently, universities use affirmative action policies to ensure that minority applicants have opportunities to receive a higher education. Since President John F. Kennedy declared the Council on Equal Opportunity through an executive order in 1961 to promote educational and employment opportunities, people have fought to eliminate its implementation, arguing that it unfairly favors certain applicants over others. A 1978 SCOTUS ruling established that colleges could not implement racial quotas.

In 2016, the United States Supreme Court voted 4-3 to uphold the University of Texas at Austin's use of affirmative action in college admissions after candidate Abigail Fisher filed a lawsuit claiming she was unfairly rejected.