Brown, Adams, and Rivas Lead Letter Calling on Trump Administration to Reverse Decision to Terminate Minority Science Programs

Image October 29, 2026 Press Release DOJ declared Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation and other grant programs unconstitutional Washington, DC – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11), Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12) and Congresswoman Luz Rivas (CA-29) have written to the Department of Justice (DOJ) calling on the Administration to reverse their decision to terminate three National Science Foundation (NSF) grant programs supporting minority participation in STEM education and employment. Brown, Adams, Rivas, and the letter’s cosigners have demanded DOJ’s documentation and evidence supporting their decision and asked if they consulted with the NSF on the programs’ effectiveness. The letter calls for “the Department to reverse course and strengthen, instead of dismantling, the pathways that allow students from every background and community to contribute to our nation’s future.” On August 12, 2026, the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued an opinion declaring three NSF STEM programs unconstitutional and directing their termination: the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP), the Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate Program (AGEP), and the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program (IUSE-HSI). In 1991, Congress created the Alliances for Minority Participation to support students from underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines. Other programs followed, including AGEP, which is intended to broaden participation in the STEM workforce, and IUSE-HSI, which was designed to strengthen STEM capacity at Hispanic-Serving Institutions. These three programs accounted for approximately $104 million of the $938 million that Congress appropriated to NSF under the STEM Education (EDU) account for the benefit of thousands of students. Brown, Adams, and Rivas note in their letter that these programs have been supported by Congress for four decades and that the OLC’s opinion “effectively prohibits Congress from addressing systemic disparities.” The members write , “At a time when the nation should be working to expand its STEM workforce, this Administration is continuously eliminating programs that are designed to ensure that gifted and talented students from all backgrounds have access to training and experience in scientific disciplines. The OLC opinion is part of a broader pattern of attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs throughout the federal government. It will undermine the work Congress has done for decades to strengthen scientific education, research, and workforce.” Congressman Louis represented Cleveland and Northeast Ohio for thirty years (1969-1999) and was the first African American elected to Congress from Ohio. The LSAMP program was established in 1991 and renamed for Stokes in 1999. In addition to Brown, Adams, and Rivas, the letter was cosigned by 15 other members of the House of Representatives: Rep. Yvette Clarke, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Rep. Adelita Grijalva, Rep. Jonathan Jackson, Rep. Robin Kelly, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rep. Lucy McBath, Rep. Jennifer McClellan, Rep. Melanie Stansbury, Rep. Shri Thanedar, Rep. Dina Titus, Rep. Paul Tonko, Rep. George Whitesides, Rep. Nikema Williams, and Rep. Frederica Wilson. The text of the letter is copied below: The Honorable Todd Blanche Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC 20530 Elliot Gaiser Assistant Attorney General DOJ Office of Legal Counsel 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Dear Attorney General Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Gaiser, We write to express our profound opposition to the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion issued August 12, 2026, declaring three National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM programs unconstitutional and directing their termination. [1] This opinion is the latest step in a coordinated effort by this Administration to dismantle decades of bipartisan work expanding educational opportunities for minorities historically underrepresented in STEM. Ensuring that students from minority communities have access to STEM programs is vital to strengthening our American scientific workforce and ensuring that the United States remains globally competitive in science and technology. The opinion targets the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP), the Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate Program (AGEP), and the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program (IUSE-HSI). These programs accounted for approximately $104 million of the $938 million that Congress appropriated to NSF under the STEM Education (EDU) account for the benefit of thousands of students. [2] For most of our nation’s history, Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Indigenous Americans, and other minority groups were denied access to educational institutions, scientific professions, and research opportunities. Congress has worked diligently to ensure Americans from all backgrounds can participate in STEM. In 1991, Congress created the Alliances for Minority Participation (later renamed the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) to support students from underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines. [3] Other programs followed, including AGEP, which is intended to broaden participation in the STEM workforce, and IUSE-HSI, which was designed to strengthen STEM capacity at Hispanic-Serving Institutions. [4] Moreover, the last four decades have established a clear and consistent record of congressional intent. Congress has held hearings, stood up, funded, and conducted oversight on each of these programs. These efforts have established that these programs achieve a compelling government interest in remedying current and historic discrimination and the underlying statute was successful in narrowly tailoring each of these programs to achieve their purposes. OLC’s opinion ignores both our nation’s social history and congressional intent. Under OLC’s opinion, the government can only remedy past discrimination through specific identified instances and has no compelling interest to address societal disparities. [5] This narrow interpretation effectively prohibits Congress from addressing systemic disparities. At a time when the nation should be working to expand its STEM workforce, this Administration is continuously eliminating programs that are designed to ensure that gifted and talented students from all backgrounds have access to training and experience in scientific disciplines. The OLC opinion is part of a broader pattern of attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs throughout the federal government. It will undermine the work Congress has done for decades to strengthen scientific education, research, and workforce. [6] We therefore request answers to the following questions no later than November 12, 2026: Did OLC consult with NSF regarding the effectiveness and outcomes of LSAMP, AGEP, and IUSE-HSI? What evidence did OLC rely on to conclude the government had no compelling governmental interest in supporting these programs? Please provide all memoranda, analyses, briefing materials, drafts, and supporting documentation relied upon in reaching the conclusions contained in the August 12 opinion. Congress has continued to support and fund these programs because our nation cannot afford to leave talent on the sidelines and ignore that discrimination exists. OLC’s decision to ignore this simple principle and instead lead with ideology threatens to weaken not only the scientific workforce but also American innovation and economic growth. We urge the Department to reverse course and strengthen, instead of dismantling, the pathways that allow students from every background and community to contribute to our nation’s future. Cc:      Brian Stone, Chief of Staff, Performing the Duties of the Director of the National Science Foundation [Signatures] [1] https://www.justice.gov/olc/media/1457731/dl [2] https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fy26_cjs_jes.pdf [3] https://www.ncat.edu/provost/nclsamp/index.php [4] https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2026/08/14/doj-declares-3-race-based-stem-programs [5] https://www.justice.gov/olc/media/1457731/dl pg 5 [6] https://www.justice.gov/olc/media/1457731/dl pg 5 ###