The trial of affirmative action in the Naval Academy begins with race-based admissions.

The Naval Academy will defend its use of race in admissions on Monday, following a Supreme Court decision that upheld affirmative action for service academies.

The group that challenged affirmative action in the Supreme Court, Students for Fair Admissions, also filed a lawsuit against the Naval Academy following the court's ruling that did not address the use of race in military academy admissions.

The case commenced on Monday and is currently being heard in Baltimore by District Judge Richard D. Bennett, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, without the presence of a jury.

John Roberts, the Chief Justice, stated that considering race in admissions to service academies has unique objectives.

The Supreme Court ruled in June 2023 that policies that favored Black, Hispanic, and other minority students on U.S. campuses were unconstitutional. The decision, which applied to most universities except service academies, was based on a case involving Harvard and North Carolina.

The group Students for Fair Admissions, led by anti-affirmative action advocate Jason Blum, is advocating for the extension of the ruling to service academies, asserting that the policies there are discriminatory and violate the principle of equal protection in the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment.

In the court system of New York, a separate case is being heard concerning the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

The Naval Academy requires applicants to specify their race, ethnicity, and cultural background in their online application, but they only take these factors into account in specific situations.

In court filings, lawyers for the Naval Academy stated that "most candidates are not impacted by the consideration of race."

Nearly 1,200 students make up the newly enrolled Class of 2028, with 642 being White, 178 Hispanic, 132 Asian, 70 African, and four Native American students.

"The lawyers pointed out that despite the Naval Academy's efforts to increase the number of minority students, the number of minority students, particularly Black American and Hispanic students, remains significantly lower than the nation's racial and ethnic demographics."

Unlike civilian universities, USNA focuses on preparing students for military service.

The lawyers argue that racial diversity is crucial for national security as it enhances the legitimacy of U.S. military forces globally, promotes unity, and aids in enlistment.

The academy is accused of manipulating admissions outcomes to reflect the diversity of the U.S. population, which disadvantages White and Asian students, according to Students for Fair Admissions.

"The group's lawyers argued in court filings that the Academy's use of race-based admissions is unconstitutional and has no justification, as it is not practiced in other public institutions of higher education."

In December, Bennett rejected a request to temporarily halt the Naval Academy from taking race into account during the trial of the lawsuit.