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Chen v. Mamdani — 2d Cir. (argued September 8, 2026)

No. 26-2066 Argued September 8, 2026 Published September 9, 2026

The Second Circuit hears Yi Fang Chen's emergency request to admit her son to Stuyvesant High School while she appeals the denial of a preliminary injunction. He scored 558 on the SHSAT, three points below Stuyvesant's cutoff. Chen says New York City expanded the Discovery Program to twenty percent of seats and added a school-level Economic Need Index rule to change racial enrollment, violating equal protection. The city and student intervenors say the criteria are race-neutral and target economic and geographic disadvantage. The court must decide whether Chen has shown likely success, irreparable harm, and favorable equities—and whether strict scrutiny or rational-basis review governs.

Chen v. Mamdani (No. 26-2066) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, argued September 8, 2026.

Sources
Argument audio — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (public domain, 17 U.S.C. § 105):https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/audio/26-2066%20mtn.mp3
Argument listing — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit:https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/oral_arguments.html
Appellate docket — Justia:https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca2/26-2066
Order denying preliminary injunction — U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y.:https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2026/07/057-Order-Denying-Motion-for-Preliminary-Injunction.pdf
Emergency motion for injunction pending appeal — U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y.:https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2026/07/059-Plaintiffs-Emergency-Letter-Motion-to-Expedite-and-for-an-Injunction-Pending-Appeal.pdf
City defendants' opposition — U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y.:https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2026/07/031-Defendants-First-Memorandum-Of-Law-In-Opposition-To-MPI.pdf
Intervenor-defendants' opposition — U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y.:https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2026/07/051-Intervenor-Defendants-Memorandum-Of-Law-In-Opposition-To-MPI.pdf
Fall 2026 SHSAT guide — New York City Public Schools:https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/specialized-high-schools/fall-2026-shsat-guide
Discovery Program eligibility — New York City Public Schools:https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/specialized-high-schools/discovery-programs
Chinese American Citizens Alliance v. Adams — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ca2-22-02649/pdf/USCOURTS-ca2-22-02649-0.pdf
Chen v. Mamdani case page — Pacific Legal Foundation:https://pacificlegal.org/case/chen-nyc-specialized-high-schools/
Complaint — U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y.:https://pacificlegal.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Yi-Fang-Chen-v.-Zohran-Mamdani-Complaint-4.23.26.pdf
Dean McGee — Pacific Legal Foundation:https://pacificlegal.org/staff/dean-mcgee/
Chen v. Mamdani case page — ACLU:https://www.aclu.org/cases/yi-fang-chen-v-zohran-mamdani-et-al
Stefanie Coyle — New York Civil Liberties Union:https://www.nyclu.org/about/our-people/stefanie-coyle

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