Judge Temporarily Blocks Education Department from Releasing Foreign Donor Names to US Colleges

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order, preventing the U.S. Department of Education from publishing the names of individual foreign donors to American universities. The Association of American Universities (AAU) argued that the Department's reversal on confidentiality was "arbitrary and capricious," citing institutions' and donors' reliance interests. This decision temporarily halts a June 2026 policy change by the Department.