The U.S. Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, effectively prohibiting affirmative action policies long used to raise the number of minority students on American campuses.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that a student "must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual not on the basis of race.
"Many universities have for too long done just the opposite. And in doing so, they have concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual's identity is not challenges bested, skills built or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice." Roberts said.
U.S. President Joe Biden said he strongly disagreed with the ruling and urged colleges not to abandon their commitment to student diversity. Asked by a reporter if this is "a rogue court," Biden replied, "This is not a normal court."
Biden recommended that colleges weigh a range of factors in admitting students including their economic backgrounds or hardships they had faced including racial discrimination.
"Discrimination still exists in America. Today's decision doesn't change that," Biden said.
