The Justice Department accused the University of California San Diego School of Medicine of illegally using race in its admissions process, alleging it favored Black and Hispanic applicants in violation of federal civil rights law and the Supreme Court's 2023 ban on race-conscious admissions.

The department's Civil Rights Division said its investigation found the medical school used ostensibly race-neutral criteria to increase admissions for applicants considered "underrepresented minorities in medicine," The Hill reported.

"Rather than rely on MCAT scores or GPA, San Diego Med's shadow application process unlawfully judged applicants for admission based on their race," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement on Monday. "San Diego Med's blatant efforts to prioritize race are illegal, and we will end these practices."

According to the Justice Department, admissions staff used responses to application questions about hardship as a proxy for race, placing applicants into academic and hardship categories that increased the number of Black and Hispanic applicants selected for interviews.

The department also said reviewers in some admissions cycles could see applicants' race during the interview selection process.

The Justice Department alleged the practices violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Supreme Court's ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. It said the result was that some white and Asian applicants were denied admission in favor of Black and Hispanic applicants with lower academic credentials.

UC San Diego said it is reviewing the department's findings.

"UC San Diego School of Medicine is proud to produce some of the highest-performing physicians and researchers in the nation, with residency placement rates that consistently meet or exceed national averages," the university said in a statement to the San Diego Union-Tribune. "All applicants to the school's Doctor of Medicine must meet strict academic thresholds, a requirement that is and was applied uniformly to all applicants."

The investigation is part of the Trump administration's broader effort to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion practices in higher education.

The Justice Department said it is seeking a voluntary settlement with the university and will file a lawsuit if negotiations fail.

It announced similar findings involving Yale School of Medicine in May and last month opened civil rights investigations into 15 additional medical schools over alleged racial discrimination in admissions.