The government of President Donald Trump announced on Thursday new rules that could revoke the tax exemption of any educational institution in the United States that offers targeted support to Black students or other ethnic minorities. The measure represents a broad shift in American educational policy and opens another front in the Republican's campaign to reshape education in the country.
The proposed regulations were published by the United States Treasury Department and add a new element to the guidelines that schools and other organizations must follow to qualify for tax-exempt status with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The rules would deny tax exemption to any educational institution, including high schools and universities.
The measure is part of a broader set of actions by the Trump administration against higher education institutions. Recently, the administration sued Harvard University and demanded student admission data, in a new offensive against the institution.
The new rules represent an escalation in the legal and political battle between the federal government and American universities, which traditionally maintain independence in their internal admission and student support policies.
