Trump admin blocks $584 million to UCLA over antisemitism, civil rights allegations

The Trump administration has halted $584 million in federal funding to UCLA — nearly twice the amount previously reported — according to a statement from Chancellor Julio Frenk on Wednesday.

UCLA is now the first public university to face such a substantial financial penalty as part of a wider federal effort targeting institutions accused of civil rights violations, including antisemitism and certain affirmative action practices. Similar funding freezes have also affected private universities.

Frenk warned that the suspension of funds could have a “devastating” impact on the university and the broader public, particularly on scientific research supported by agencies such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy.

The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division recently concluded that UCLA violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by failing to adequately respond to antisemitic incidents involving Jewish and Israeli students.

This follows a $6 million settlement between UCLA and three Jewish students and a professor, who claimed the university did not act when pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked access to campus facilities during protests in 2024.

As part of that settlement, UCLA agreed to allocate $2.3 million toward organizations that fight antisemitism and has launched a new Office of Campus and Community Safety.

University of California President James B. Milliken criticized the funding freeze, saying it would severely undermine research vital to national security and economic growth. He argued that withholding funds doesn’t address antisemitism and emphasized that the UC system has taken concrete actions to prevent discrimination.

The Trump administration is reportedly using a similar strategy to the one applied in its recent $200 million settlement with Columbia University.

Harvard University is also said to be in talks with the administration over a potential $500 million settlement related to civil rights and antisemitism allegations, according to a New York Times report.

White House spokesperson Harrison Fields defended the administration’s stance in July, saying the message to universities is straightforward: uphold civil rights, reject antisemitism and discriminatory DEI policies, and protect all students equally.

Source: RSBN