Alleged Discrimination Sparks Civil Rights Investigations
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights launched investigations on July 23, 2025, into five universities, University of Louisville, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of Miami, University of Michigan, and Western Michigan University, for allegedly offering scholarships exclusively to DACA or undocumented students, potentially violating Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act’s ban on national origin discrimination.
Triggered by complaints from the Legal Insurrection Foundation’s Equal Protection Project, the probes target programs like Louisville’s Sagar Patagundi Scholarship and Michigan’s Dreamer Scholarship, which critics claim exclude U.S.-born students.
Additional scholarships, including those favoring specific racial or LGBTQ+ groups, are also under scrutiny.
Acting Assistant Secretary Craig Trainor emphasized the Trump administration’s “America first” stance, vowing to protect American students’ rights.
The investigations could reshape university funding practices, raising questions about equity and access in higher education.
What is a DACA student?
A DACA student is an individual enrolled in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a U.S. immigration policy.
It grants temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children before June 15, 2007, and meet specific criteria, such as pursuing education or employment.
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