U-M and WMU are being investigated alongside the University of Louisville, the University of Nebraska Omaha and the University of Miami for similar DACA-related scholarships.
DACA immigration policy allows undocumented individuals who entered the country illegally as children prior to June 15, 2007, and had no lawful status on June 15, 2012, to request a renewable two-year period of protection from deportation.
The investigations announced Wednesday are based on complaints submitted to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights by the Legal Insurrection Foundation’s Equal Protection Project, a conservative advocacy group opposing affirmative action.
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These Michigan universities could potentially lose federal funding as the Trump administration continues to target public universities for diversity-based initiatives. The University of Michigan announced cuts to all diversity, equity and inclusion programs in March following federal pressure on universities over DEI programs.
In a statement to Bridge Michigan, Kay Jarvis, University of Michigan’s director of public affairs, said the university had been notified of the investigation but had no further comment.
Paula Davis, associate vice president for strategic communications at WMU, said the university “takes compliance seriously. We are reviewing the scholarship program, and we will cooperate with authorities.”
The Department of Education announced Title VI investigations earlier this year into U-M and Grand Valley State University. In that case, it said it was looking into U-M’s involvement in The PhD Project, a national organization with the goal of diversifying the pool of business professionals, and into race-based scholarships at GVSU.
“As we mark President Trump’s historic six months back in the White House, we are expanding our enforcement efforts to protect American students and lawful residents from invidious national origin discrimination of the kind alleged here,” Trainor said Wednesday.
