Queens Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking Five Victims, Including Three Minors, at Hotels on Long Island and Elsewhere

Defendant Allegedly Targeted Vulnerable Victims as Young as 14 Years Old 

Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, a 12-count indictment was unsealed charging Tyrone Stylistic Crooks with multiple counts of sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors, and transportation for prostitution.  The charges in the indictment stem from Crooks’s sex trafficking of five victims, including three minor girls who were between the ages of 14 and 17 years old at the time of the alleged crimes.  In addition to producing sexually exploitative images and videos of the minors, Crooks allegedly manipulated his victims to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit using fraud, physical violence, and sexual violence.  Crooks was arrested yesterday and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lee G. Dunst.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Stefanie Roddy, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Office (FBI), and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, FBI, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and charges.

“As alleged, the defendant preyed on vulnerable members of the community, subjecting his victims to threats, violence, and manipulation so that he could sell their bodies for his own profit,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Today’s arrest demonstrates our Office’s unwavering commitment to aggressively prosecute sex traffickers, especially when minors are involved.”

Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey; the Boston Police Department; FBI Boston Field Office; the New Jersey State Police Human Trafficking Unit; the Suffolk County Police Department; and the New York City Police Department for their contributions to the case.

“Cases like this remind us that children in our communities are still being exploited by traffickers who see them as commodities rather than young people with futures,” stated FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Roddy.  “Our priority is identifying victims, protecting them, and holding those responsible fully accountable.  If someone sees a young person who may be in danger or under someone else’s control, we urge them to report it to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. A single call could help protect a child from ongoing abuse.”

“Tyrone Crooks allegedly threatened, assaulted, and forced three minors to engage in sexual acts and produce sexually explicit content for his own personal gain. Through his alleged trafficking of these young girls, they were subjected to significant cruelty and unthinkable sexual abuse.  “The FBI continues to coordinate with our federal and local law enforcement partners to apprehend sexual predators and traffickers targeting vulnerable victims, especially children,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.

As set forth in court filings, since at least 2021 to the present, Crooks has operated as a “pimp” and trafficked victims across various locations in Brooklyn, Queens, and on Long Island, including in Westbury, Woodbury, Hicksville, Melville, Bethpage, and Huntington.  Of the five victims that the defendant is presently charged with trafficking, three were minors who came from out of state to work for Crooks doing prostitution in New York. 

Crooks enticed these victims using text and other online communications and paid for their travel.  Crooks promoted and managed his prostitution business over the internet, including posting sexually exploitative photos that he produced of these minor victims to further his trafficking business.  In addition to recruiting minors, the defendant used them to create sexually explicit images and videos, which he then posted on the internet in advertisements. In one message on January 27, 2025, the defendant said to a minor, “Do your make up for pics . . . And I got baby oil for the pics no diddy lol.”  A search of the defendant’s iCloud account revealed multiple images of child pornography from that same date, including one video where a male believed to be the defendant is pouring baby oil on a naked child, who is dancing.  Crooks set the prices for commercial sex acts, arranged prostitution “dates” for his victims and controlled the money made during those “dates,” and pursued his victims for money that he claimed they owed him for hotel rooms and other related expenses.  Crooks also demanded that his victims engage in sex acts with him, and told at least one victim in text messages that she was not allowed to say “no” to him.  Crooks physically assaulted multiple victims, including one who was pregnant at the time. After the victim texted the defendant that he “hurt [her] baby” and questioned “[yo]u thought punching in the stomach was a good idea[.] Could have been anywhere but [you] chose my stomach,” Crooks blamed the victim, texting, “You moved your arm not my fault.”

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of sex trafficking using force, fraud or coercion, Crooks faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life.  If convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison.  If convicted of trafficking a minor, Crooks faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section and Long Island Criminal Section.

President Trump’s Justice Department & Transportation Department Sue to Stop California’s Illegal EV Mandate

The Trump Administration Will Protect American Families from Higher Car Prices & Manufacturers from Making Vehicles the Public Doesn’t Want 

Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced that the Justice Department, on behalf of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has filed suit to stop California from imposing an illegal electric vehicle (EV) mandate through what are effectively state-specific mileage requirements for car manufacturers. Federal law prohibits individual states from adopting regulations related to fuel economy.  

President Donald J. Trump and Secretary Duffy created the “Freedom Means Affordable Cars ” initiative to save the American people $109 billion over the next five years and save families $1,000 on the average cost of a new vehicle by resetting NHTSA’s corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. California’s scheme would force carmakers to radically revamp their production lines nationwide to meet standards more stringent than the national standards adopted by NHTSA. The deviation would send car prices through the roof, restrict consumer choice, and undermine interstate commerce.

“Oppressive, expensive electric vehicle mandates drive up costs for American consumers and violate federal law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “California is using unlawful policies from the last administration to create exorbitant costs for our citizens — this Department of Justice is proud to stand with President Trump and Secretary Duffy to bring litigation that will make life more affordable for American consumers.”

“I was proud to stand alongside President Trump to unveil our plan to eliminate the Biden-Buttigieg EV mandate and allow auto manufacturers to produce cars American families actually want to buy at a more affordable price. But Gavin Newsom is determined to continue pushing Democrat’s radical EV fantasy – even if doing so is illegal,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Newsom may not care about lowering costs, but President Trump does. I want to thank Attorney General Bondi for fighting to protect consumer choice and stop activist governors from destroying our manufacturing sector.”

“This lawsuit continues ENRD’s war on regulatory overreach by California that is set on undermining the national market for motor vehicles through unlawful state policies,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The state vehicle standards we are challenging today are preempted by federal law, just like the standards that were blocked by a court in our challenge to California’s so-called Clean Truck Partnership.”

“This litigation will help automakers design and produce cars and trucks to meet one federal fuel economy regulation. It was a mistake by Presidents Obama and Biden to enable California to set its own backdoor fuel economy policies, which have now spiraled into a costly patchwork quilt of individual state fuel economy requirements. This litigation will correct that misstep,” said NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison.  

Read more about President Trump and Secretary Duffy’s “Freedom Means Affordable Cars” initiative HERE

Read the United States’ complaint HERE.

Additional Information: 

This case challenges the state’s regulations as preempted under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which makes NHTSA the exclusive regulator of fuel economy in the United States.  

 The litigation involves defendants California’s Air Resources Board and its executive officer in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California.

ENRD filed the complaint.

The case number is 26-at-00450 in California.

Keeping New Yorkers Safe: Governor Hochul Joins New York National Guard at Moynihan Train Hall to Highlight Enhanced Security Efforts Amid Ongoing Military Operations Overseas

Governor Kathy Hochul today visited Moynihan Train Hall to highlight the ongoing security efforts of the New York National Guard, Metropolitan Transit Authority Police and New York State Police amid ongoing military operations overseas. Governor Hochul met with members of Joint Task Force Empire Shield, commanded by Colonel Jeffrey Roth, along with MTA Police Department Chief Tom Taffe and New York State Police Commander Captain Jason Timko to highlight the State’s continued efforts to keep New Yorkers safe with enhanced security efforts, especially in major transit hubs and networks.

“Today I had the privilege to join New York’s elite citizen soldiers who work each and every day to keep New Yorkers safe. This is a particularly impactful time for our National Guard members following the tragic loss of Major Sorffly Davius over the weekend in Kuwait, who formerly served on the Joint Task Force Empire Shield with distinction, and as we continue facing a heightened threat environment,” Governor Hochul said. “Amid escalating tensions overseas and as U.S. military operations continue, I am committed to supporting the more than 1,000 members of the National Guard on state active duty protecting train stations, airports, and other critical infrastructure to keep New Yorkers safe. The sacrifices our service members and law enforcement officers make do not go unnoticed, and on behalf of all New Yorkers, I thank them for their continued service.”

Joint Task Force-Empire Shield was formed in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and serves as a security force partly responsible for the military defense of New York City. Every day, Joint Task Force-Empire Shield is protecting the major transportation hubs and networks assisting law enforcement, including the subway system. In last year’s budget, Governor Hochul added an additional $45 million for the National Guard’s Joint Task Force Empire Shield mission in an effort to continue to deter and prevent terrorist activity in the New York City area, including transit and commuter hubs, and increased the ranks of those deployed to 1,050 service members to support the mission.

 

State Senator Gustavo Rivera on the 2026 Senate One House Budget Resolution

 

“This year, New York’s budget faces unprecedented challenges due to massive cuts in federal support for New Yorkers by the trump administration and Congressional Republicans. Our Senate One-House budget proposal would mitigate the real harm inflicted by the federal government, which includes loss of access to healthcare services and increasing costs and barriers to adequate coverage. Despite these funding gaps, the Senate Majority is making smart investments such as supporting Governor Hochul’s $3.6 billion to expand child care across the state, which will be transformative for so many families in my district."

“This resolution includes funding for hospitals, nursing homes, and community health centers, assisted living programs, hospices, home care and other providers. To address issues of affordability and access the Senate budget has included a number of measures that I have been working to advance, including the Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act, which will allow our State to produce generic prescription drugs, including insulin; the permanent exclusion of School Based Health Centers from managed care to protect funding for children’s healthcare; and a measure to permanently extend the enhanced Medical Indemnity Fund (MIF) rates, and create a MIF ombudsman (S.3364), which will ensure families with children who suffered neurological injuries can continue to access the services they need and resolve problems when they arise."

“The Senate Majority ’s budget proposal also creates a mandate for the Department of Health to explore long-term solutions for the delivery of publicly-subsidized healthcare services, such as my bill, the Home Care Savings and Reinvestment Act, which would restructure the Medicaid Managed Long Term Care program to eliminate private health insurance companies that act as middlemen."

 

“I am proud that our Conference included proposals that will make New York’s highest income earners and corporations pay their fair share. I strongly believe that we must do more in this year’s budget to safeguard safety net programs and public services that have been gutted by the federal government. Our state has an opportunity and an obligation to meet the needs of New York’s working people by making billionaires and mega corporations contribute much more so that our government has the resources to provide services that benefit all of us."

MAYOR MAMDANI ANNOUNCES HISTORIC $2.1M COURT JUDGMENT AGAINST BRONX LANDLORD, REQUIRING REPAIRS AND FINANCIAL PENALTIES

 

First-of-its-Kind Judgment Requires Maximum Civil Penalty and Repairs within One Month at 919 Prospect Avenue

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Corporation Counsel Steve Banks announced a first-of-its-kind ruling in a case that the City brought against the owners of 919 Prospect Avenue in the South Bronx. The ruling, the first to impose the maximum penalties available under New York City’s Nuisance Abatement Law, will require the landlord to address the most severe of the building’s noncompliant conditions within two weeks, all noncompliant conditions within one month, and pay $1,000 for each day that a public nuisance has persisted — including a full retroactive penalty of $2,174,000.

“This judgment is a landmark victory not only for those who call 919 Prospect Ave home, but for tenants across the five boroughs who must contend with the daily misery, mistreatment and neglect of a bad landlord. Let the scale of this penalty show how seriously we take the threat of building mismanagement that put residents’ and neighbors’ health at risk,” said Mayor Mamdani. “We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect tenants across New York.”

“Every New Yorker has the right to a safe and well-maintained home. For far too long, the residents of 919 Prospect Avenue have been denied that right – and this judgment will finally turn the tide. The City’s actions in this case show how we can, and will, ensure that building owners are upholding their legal obligations, whether through building or housing code enforcement or legal action,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.

“In the Mamdani administration, the Mayor of New York City is on tenants’ side. The tenants of 919 Prospect Avenue have fought for a livable home for more than a decade, and this victory is a turning point in that fight. We will leave no stone unturned in our work to create a city where every tenant can live in comfort and dignity,” said Cea Weaver, Director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants.

“The City will use every tool available to ensure tenants are protected and building owners comply with the law,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Steve Banks. “This court ruling not only helps us hold this one landlord accountable, it will also enhance our efforts to safeguard building residents in numerous other cases.”

“This court decision is an important step towards finally compelling the owners of 919 Prospect Avenue to live up to their legal responsibilities and make the building repairs needed to provide their tenants with a safe place to call home," said Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. "This major ruling sends a strong message that putting our fellow New Yorkers in harm’s way in their own homes is not acceptable. We are thankful to the Law Department for their dogged pursuit in this case."

“Tenants should not have to live for years with conditions like unsafe electrical equipment, pests, or broken building systems because an owner refuses to make basic repairs,” said Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Dina Levy. “At HPD, we’re going to keep using every enforcement tool we have to make sure landlords meet their obligation to keep their buildings safe and livable.”

“Housing maintenance issues like peeling lead-paint and pest infestations aren’t just a public nuisance, but a threat to public health,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin. “We applaud Mayor Mamdani and Corporation Counsel Banks for their steadfast leadership in protecting the health and safety of New Yorkers and holding those responsible accountable.” 

“TakeRoot Justice has been fighting alongside the tenants from 919 Prospect Ave since 2016 for the right to safe, dignified living conditions. This judgement is a sign of progress, and the tenants are hopeful, but it is important to highlight that this new administration has much work to do to enforce housing codes and hold slumlords accountable,” said Claribel Morales, Staff Attorney, and Nova Rivera, Advocacy Coordinator, TakeRoot Justice. 

919 Prospect Avenue is an occupied, rent-stabilized building owned by Seth Miller, who has consistently been placed on the Public Advocate’s “Worst Landlords Watchlist,” and the associated building is currently part of Housing Preservation and Development's (HPD) Alternative Enforcement Program. At 919 Prospect Avenue, there are violations for a deteriorated facade, unsafe electrical equipment, obstructed fire escapes, an unsafe elevator, inoperable boiler, a partial vacate order, peeling lead-based paint, lack of self-closing doors, mice and roach infestations, and the failure to erect a necessary sidewalk shed.

After the City sought an injunction, a New York State Supreme Court Judge issued a Decision and Order granting the City’s motion to order the correction of code violations and abatement of all public nuisances at the premises, and the imposition of Nuisance Abatement Law penalties in the amount of $1,000 per day for each day the building had an open violation that rendered it a public nuisance – including full retroactive penalty of $2,174,000. The City’s motion was supported by building tenants represented by TakeRoot Justice who joined the City’s case. This judgment resulted from the city’s ramped-up, comprehensive enforcement against building owners who put tenants at risk, led by the Law Department in close cooperation with the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants and numerous city agencies. 

Massachusetts Man Sentenced in Federal Court in Rhode Island for Trafficking More Than Three Pounds of Crystal Meth

 

A Lawrence, Massachusetts man who trafficked more than three pounds of crystal methamphetamine was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. 

Hector Gonzalez Michel, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to 121 months of imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. 

“Methamphetamine trafficking continues to pose a serious threat to public safety and well-being of our communities,” said United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “This sentence holds the defendant accountable and reflects the tireless work of our law enforcement partners to disrupt the flow of dangerous drugs throughout New England.” 

“Trafficking pounds of crystal meth isn’t just a crime, it’s a direct attack on the safety and health of our communities,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge, New England Field Division. “When someone moves this amount of methamphetamine, the damage reaches far beyond one neighborhood. Our mission is to stop that pipeline and hold those responsible accountable.”

Court records show that members of the Rhode Island DEA Task Force developed information that Gonzalez Michel was preparing to deliver a substantial quantity of crystal meth to an individual in Boston. 

Rhode Island and Boston DEA Task Force agents and Boston Police Detectives later intercepted the delivery as he arrived outside a Boston residence where he was delivering the drugs.  Police recovered approximately 3.4 pounds of crystal methamphetamine stored inside a small cooler that Gonzalez Michel was carrying.

Gonzalez Michel previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey A. Erickson.

The Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of personnel from the DEA, Rhode Island State Police, the East Providence, Cranston, Coventry, Newport, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick, West Warwick, and Woonsocket Police Departments, Amtrak Police, and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation. 

Members of the DEA Boston Task Force Group 5 assisted in the investigation and arrest of Gonzalez Michel.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

Aetna Agrees to Pay $117.7 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

 

Aetna Inc., a national insurer incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $117,700,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting or failing to withdraw inaccurate and untruthful diagnosis codes for its Medicare Advantage Plan enrollees in order to increase its payments from Medicare.

Under the Medicare Advantage (MA) Program, also known as Medicare Part C, Medicare beneficiaries may opt out of traditional Medicare and enroll in private health plans offered by insurance companies known as Medicare Advantage Organizations, or MAOs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) pays MAOs a fixed monthly amount adjusted for various risk factors that affect expected health expenditures for the beneficiary. In general, CMS pays MAOs more for sicker beneficiaries expected to incur higher healthcare costs. To make these “risk adjustments,” CMS collects medical diagnosis codes from the MAOs.

The United States alleges that Aetna submitted inaccurate and untruthful patient diagnosis data to CMS in order to inflate the risk adjustment payments it received from CMS, failed to withdraw the inaccurate and untruthful diagnosis data and repay CMS, and falsely certified in writing to CMS that the data was accurate and truthful. The settlement announced today resolves these allegations.

“The government pays private insurers over $530 billion each year to care for Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department's Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable insurers that knowingly submit inaccurate or unsupported diagnoses to improperly inflate reimbursement.”

“The government pays Medicare Advantage Organizations to facilitate vital healthcare to our seniors and other vulnerable citizens. When corporations or individuals threaten the Medicare Advantage program by diverting those limited government resources through fraud, waste, or abuse, we will continue to pursue all available remedies against them,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

“Medicare Advantage relies on accurate reporting and attempts to manipulate the system undermine both the program’s integrity and the beneficiaries it serves,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This settlement makes clear that no company is beyond accountability, no matter how large or well known. Those who seek to exploit Medicare Advantage should expect to be identified and held responsible, and HHS‑OIG will continue to protect taxpayer funds and the integrity of this vital program.”

The United States contends that, for payment year 2015, Aetna operated a “chart review” program in which it paid diagnosis coders to review medical records (also known as “charts”) and identify all medical conditions that the charts supported. Aetna relied on the results of those chart reviews to submit additional diagnosis codes to CMS to obtain additional payments. However, Aetna’s chart reviews did not substantiate some diagnosis codes previously reported by Aetna to CMS. Aetna did not delete or withdraw those diagnosis codes, which would have required Aetna to reimburse CMS. The United States alleges that Aetna used the results of its chart reviews to identify instances where Aetna could seek additional payments from CMS while ignoring those same results when they indicated Aetna was overpaid.

The settlement also resolves further allegations that, for payment years 2018 to 2023, Aetna knowingly submitted or failed to delete or withdraw inaccurate and untruthful diagnosis codes for morbid obesity to increase the payments it received from CMS for beneficiaries enrolled in its MA plans. The medical records for individuals diagnosed as morbidly obese typically include one or more Body Mass Index (BMI) recordings. Aetna submitted or failed to delete inaccurate and untruthful diagnosis codes for morbid obesity for individuals whose recorded BMI was inconsistent with a diagnosis of morbid obesity, and these codes increased the payments made by CMS.

The civil settlement related to morbid obesity resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when they believe that a defendant has submitted false claims for government funds and receive a share of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Mary Melette Thomas v. Aetna Inc., et. al., number 24-cv-339 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblower, a former Aetna risk-adjustment coding auditor, to receive a $2,012,500 share of the settlement amount.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with HHS-OIG.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at www.oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud or 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The matter was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Nelson Wagner and Edward Crooke and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Carr and Gregory B. in den Berken, and Civil Chief Gregory David, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Attorney General James Sues Trump Administration Over Unlawful Data Demands Targeting Colleges

New Federal Survey Forces Schools to Hand Over Years of Sensitive Admissions and Student Data as Part of Ongoing Campaign Against DEI

New York Attorney General Letitia James and 16 other attorneys general sued the Trump administration over a sweeping new federal data collection mandate targeting colleges and universities. The lawsuit challenges the U.S. Department of Education’s new “Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement” survey, which forces institutions to rapidly compile and report years of highly detailed admissions and student data, including information broken down by race, gender, income, and academic performance. Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the Department of Education rushed the new requirements into effect without complying with the law in an attempt to target diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, placing an unmanageable burden on colleges and universities and creating serious risks to student privacy. The attorneys general are asking the court to block the federal government from forcing institutions to submit the data.

“Once again, this administration is trying to stretch the federal government’s authority to serve its own political agenda and target DEI initiatives,” said Attorney General James. “Colleges and universities should not be forced to turn over massive amounts of sensitive student data to satisfy another witch hunt. We are going to court to stop this unlawful mandate and protect institutions and students across the country.”

For decades, the Department of Education has used the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to collect basic statistical information from colleges and universities. Late last year, the Trump administration abruptly changed that system by creating an entirely new survey that requires schools to report detailed admissions data, purportedly to ensure colleges are not engaging in unlawful “affirmative action” admissions practices. Under the new survey, colleges must collect and report extensive admissions and student data broken down by race and gender, including test scores, grade point averages, family income ranges, financial aid information, and graduation outcomes. The new survey requires colleges and universities to submit up to seven years of historical data, even though schools have never been asked to track these metrics.

The administration has contended that the new survey data will be used to root out so-called unlawful DEI initiatives in higher education, which the administration claims have “been used as a pretext to advance overt and insidious racial discrimination.”

Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the administration pushed through these sweeping changes on an accelerated timeline without properly reviewing the impact on colleges and universities or providing clear guidance about how schools should collect and submit the data. They emphasize that the stakes are dangerously high, as schools that fail to comply could face steep fines or even risk losing access to federal student aid funding. The attorneys general also warn that the unprecedented level of detail required by the survey could expose sensitive student information, particularly in smaller academic programs where such data could make individual students identifiable.

New York’s higher education institutions could face significant burdens under the new mandate. Public university systems like the State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York (CUNY), along with private colleges and universities across the state, could be forced to divert substantial staff time and resources to compiling years of complex admissions data on short notice, all while navigating unclear federal instructions and new reporting systems.

Attorney General James and the coalition assert that the administration’s actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act. The attorneys general are asking the court to block the federal government from requiring colleges and universities to complete the survey or penalizing institutions that do not comply.

Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington.