Supreme Court Won’t Block Use of Race in West Point Admissions for Now

The Supreme Court declined on Friday to temporarily block race-conscious admissions at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, clearing the way for the school to continue considering race as a factor in selecting the class that will enroll in the fall.

The court’s order rejected a request for emergency relief from Students for Fair Admissions, a conservative group that has repeatedly challenged affirmative action in college admissions, as a lawsuit moves forward. It had asked the justices to act swiftly because West Point was poised to stop accepting applications on Jan. 31.

The court’s order said that the record was “underdeveloped” and that the court’s denial “should not be construed as expressing any view on the merits of the constitutional question,” signaling that the justices could consider the issue in the future. There were no noted dissents.