The Justice Department has reached a settlement with the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Air Force Academy to permanently end race-based admissions policies, concluding a lawsuit brought by Students for Fair Admissions Inc. The group, which has successfully challenged affirmative action in higher education, dropped its legal challenges this week after the Trump administration secured the agreement.
The DOJ said the settlement “avoids the need for continued litigation” and establishes “agreed-upon terms that help ensure that admission to these prestigious institutions is based exclusively on merit, not race or ethnicity.” Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized that the agreement reflects the administration’s commitment to eliminating DEI practices across the federal government.
Under the settlement, both academies are prohibited from considering race or ethnicity in admissions, setting race-based quotas, or providing admissions officers access to applicants’ race or ethnicity information. Admissions personnel will receive training to adhere strictly to merit-based standards. The policies, approved by the Department of Defense, are permanent and will apply to all future admissions cycles.
The legal battle began in 2023 when Students for Fair Admissions sued both institutions, challenging their race-conscious admissions policies. While the Supreme Court struck down such policies for civilian colleges in a landmark ruling, it declined to take up the West Point case at the time, calling it “undeveloped.”
The shift came after President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring that “every element of the Armed Forces should operate free from any preference based on race or sex.” The Defense Department subsequently ended the Biden-era policy claiming a “compelling national security interest” justified race-based admissions.
Edward Blum, the group’s executive director, hailed the settlement as a “historic day for the principle of equal treatment under the law,” ensuring that future military officers will be selected solely on merit.
