U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun dismissed a federal lawsuit by the Donald Trump administration against Harvard University on November 2, 2026. The lawsuit sought detailed applicant-level admissions data to assess compliance with the 2023 Supreme Court ruling against race-conscious admissions. Judge Joun ruled that the Department of Justice failed to satisfy mandatory procedural prerequisites, leaving open whether the government could refile after following proper administrative channels.
Dismissal of the Justice Department lawsuit
- ▪Judge Myong J. Joun ruled that the Department of Justice failed to take required legal steps before suing
- ▪Judge Myong J. Joun dismissed the Department of Justice's lawsuit against Harvard University on narrow procedural grounds without determining whether Harvard discriminated or whether federal agencies may lawfully obtain applicant data
- ▪U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun dismissed a federal lawsuit by the Donald Trump administration's Department of Justice seeking to force Harvard University to turn over applicant-level admissions records
Justice Department data demands against Harvard
- ▪Harvard said in a June filing that the Department of Justice requested 51 data points on undergraduate applicants from Harvard University, including applicant names, family income brackets, misconduct records, and individual application essays
- ▪The Donald Trump administration sued Harvard University in February 2026, alleging the university failed to cooperate with a federal compliance review and withheld applicant-level admissions documents
- ▪Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Trump administration's Department of Justice requested applicant-level data to evaluate compliance with a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling barring race-conscious admissions and if Harvard University used race workarounds
Other legal victories for Harvard
- ▪Federal judges have issued rulings in favor of Harvard University across multiple lawsuits, defeating Trump administration attempts to terminate over $2 billion in federal research funding
- ▪Federal courts in Boston rejected Donald Trump administration efforts to block foreign student enrollment at Harvard University in spring 2025 and dismissed an August 2026 suit over alleged harassment of Jewish and Israeli students
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