Trump Is Freezing Hundreds of Grants to UCLA Over Suspected Antisemitism

The Trump administration is freezing hundreds of grants to UCLA for allegedly failing to promote a research environment free of antisemitism and other bias at the university — the latest escalation in tensions between the UC system and the federal government.

The cuts come just days after the university settled a $6.4 million lawsuit that alleged it failed to prevent — and at times allowed — antisemitic behavior. Separately, the U.S. Department of Justice that same day said UCLA had violated civil rights laws by “creating a hostile educational environment for Jewish and Israeli students.”

“This far-reaching penalty of defunding life-saving research does nothing to address any alleged discrimination,” Chancellor Julio Frenk wrote in a letter to the university community about the freeze. “Antisemitism has no place on our campus, nor does any form of discrimination. We recognize that we can improve, and I am committed to doing so.”

Last month, UCLA committed $2 million to fighting antisemitism as part of the lawsuit.

The Faculty for Justice in Palestine at UCLA pushed back against the Trump funding cuts, but also said actions by Frenk and UCLA “enable Trump’s authoritarian overreach.” The group pointed to the recently settled lawsuit and accusations that the university “doubled down” on policing free expression on campus.

“Doomed to failure, this strategy amounts not merely to surrender but to active collaboration. We demand UCLA change course,” the group said in a statement.

As the Trump administration seeks to exert greater control over higher education, state officials have grown concerned about the targeting of the University of California — and especially its most prominent campuses in Los Angeles and Berkeley.

Along with UCLA, UC Berkeley is one of five UC campuses that have faced multi-pronged federal investigations this year by both the Education and Justice departments over allegations of antisemitism.

And last month, UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons testified on Capitol Hill about the university’s efforts to prevent antisemitic discrimination and harassment. House Republicans leading those hearings, which have included leaders of schools such as Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, have threatened to revoke federal funding if schools don’t carry out requested reforms.

UC Berkeley officials declined to comment on Friday about the funding freeze at UCLA and what it could mean for their campus. University spokesperson Dan Mogulof previously told KQED that UC Berkeley received $419 million in research funding from the federal government for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2024.

In cases where universities are willing to negotiate with the Trump administration to resolve allegations about campus conduct, more than a dozen Democratic federal lawmakers have warned against taking that path.

Lawmakers, including Bay Area Reps. Sam Liccardo, D-San José, and John Garamendi, D-Fairfield, cautioned Harvard University about a reported $500 million settlement to resolve a dispute about the Trump administration’s canceled funding to the school because of allegations of antisemitism.

“These institutions play a critical role in advancing research and innovation in vital fields, ranging from medicine to agriculture, while fostering the intellectual freedom that is essential to our democracy,” Garamendi said in a statement about Harvard’s potential settlement. “I am deeply concerned that settling with an administration that seeks to bully academic institutions will produce a chilling effect across higher education, ultimately undermining the invaluable contributions these institutions make to our society.”