On April 24, 2026, Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction covering member colleges or universities of the “plaintiff-intervenors”, including all AAU member institutions. As a result of the injunction, for covered institutions, the government is preliminarily enjoined from enforcing any deadline for compliance with the ACTS survey component. In addition, under the injunction, plaintiff-intervenors (and their member institutions) must, until the Court orders otherwise, take reasonable steps to preserve any data in their possession that is responsive to the ACTS survey to ensure they are able to respond in good faith if the injunction is later changed or overturned.
The injunction will remain in place until a final order is issued in this case, or a higher court overturns it. It replaces the temporary restraining order in place since April 13, 2026.