The Trump administration has revoked $339 million in federal funding from the University of California, Los Angeles, citing rampant antisemitism, illegal affirmative action, and discrimination against women. According to a senior administration official, the freeze affects $18.2 million from the Department of Energy, $240 million from the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health, and $81 million from the National Science Foundation.
The Department of Energy’s letter accused UCLA of engaging in “racism, in the form of illegal affirmative action,” failing “to promote a research environment free of antisemitism and bias,” and endangering women “by allowing men in women’s sports and private women-only spaces.” Similar findings came from HHS and NIH, while NSF said UCLA’s policies were “not in alignment with current N.S.F. priorities and/or programmatic goals.”
The action follows one of the nation’s largest anti-Israel protests last year, when Jewish students reported harassment and threats. On Tuesday, UCLA agreed to pay over $6 million to settle a lawsuit from Jewish students and a professor alleging the school permitted a hostile protest environment.
Chancellor Julio Frenk condemned the funding cut, claiming it would harm “life-changing work” and “does nothing to address any alleged discrimination.” But administration officials argue that universities must face consequences for failing to protect students and uphold civil rights.
As the crackdown continues, Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania have also lost massive funding. “This is about restoring accountability,” an administration source said, signaling no plans to reverse course.
