The U.S. Department of Justice has told Congress it will no longer defend a federal grant program that steers about $350 million a year to colleges where at least a quarter of undergraduates are Hispanic, calling the funding scheme unconstitutional. In a July 25 letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Solicitor General D. John Sauer said the department agrees with plaintiffs who argue the race-based eligibility criteria violate the equal-protection component of the Fifth Amendment. The program, created under the Higher Education Act and most recently funded at $350 million for fiscal 2024, faces a lawsuit filed in June by the state of Tennessee and Students for Fair Admissions, the legal group that successfully ended affirmative-action admissions in a 2023 Supreme Court ruling. The plaintiffs contend the grants give some colleges an unlawful advantage and pressure institutions to meet a 25 percent Latino-enrollment threshold. More than 500 colleges and universities are designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions and compete for the money, which can be used for building upgrades, research and student services. The Justice Department’s stance threatens funding for campuses nationwide, including five Nevada schools and regional universities such as the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs that have relied on the awards for science programs and student-success initiatives. The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities has asked to intervene in the Tennessee case, warning that the administration’s position jeopardizes support for institutions enrolling 67 percent of the nation’s Latino undergraduates. The move is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion programs, including recent civil-rights findings against race-based hiring policies at George Mason University.