President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida on February 28, 2025. Trump is staying at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach.
Sacramento, California – The Trump administration has launched three separate federal investigations into California, intensifying the ongoing political battle between President Donald Trump and the state’s Democratic leadership. The investigations, announced on March 27, target California’s concealed carry permit process, university admissions policies, and a newly enacted law concerning gender identity disclosure in schools. The outcomes could have significant implications for millions of Californians and set legal precedents nationwide.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened an inquiry into whether the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is unlawfully obstructing residents’ ability to obtain concealed carry permits. The DOJ’s announcement follows a lawsuit filed by Los Angeles residents who claim they have been waiting over 18 months for permit approvals.
The DOJ statement alleges that the delays “are unduly burdening, or effectively denying, the Second Amendment rights of the people of Los Angeles.” The department further described California as a “particularly egregious offender” for allegedly resisting recent Supreme Court rulings that uphold the right to bear arms.
In response, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department defended its record, stating that while it faces a staffing crisis—only 14 personnel handle concealed carry applications—it has approved 15,000 permits. The department is currently processing about 4,000 active cases.
The Justice Department’s civil rights division has also launched an investigation into admission policies at Stanford University and three University of California campuses—UC Irvine, UC Berkeley, and UCLA. The probe aims to determine whether these institutions are complying with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that ended affirmative action in college admissions.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the administration is committed to enforcing merit-based admissions, saying, “President Trump and I are dedicated to ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity across the country.”
Stanford University responded with a statement affirming compliance with the law, saying, “We continue to be committed to fulfilling our obligations under the law… We look forward to learning more about their concerns and responding to the department’s questions.”
The third investigation, launched by the Department of Education, challenges a 2025 California law that prohibits schools from disclosing a student’s gender identity to their parents without the child’s consent. The department argues that the law may violate the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA), which grants parents access to their children’s educational records.
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond defended the law, emphasizing the importance of student safety. “Our students must be safe in order to learn,” he stated. “To our LGBTQ+ youth and families, I want to make sure that you hear us as loudly as we hear you.”
California is required to respond to all three federal investigations. The DOJ and the Department of Education will assess whether additional actions, such as fines, new compliance measures, or the withdrawal of federal funding, are warranted. The legal battles ahead could further escalate tensions between California and the Trump administration, with potential nationwide consequences.
