A U.S. judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump’s administration to restore a part of the federal grant funding that it recently suspended for UCLA.
Genaro Molina | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
A U.S.judgeon Tuesday ordered PresidentDonaldTrump’sadministrationtorestoreapartof the federal grantfundingthat itrecentlysuspendedfor theUniversity of California, Los Angeles.
U.S. DistrictJudgeRita Lin in San Franciscoruledthat the grantfundingsuspensions violated an earlier June preliminary injunction where she ordered the National Science Foundation torestoredozens of grants that it had terminated at the University of California.
That order had blocked the agency from cancelling other grants at the University of California system, of which UCLA is apart.
“NSF’s actions violate the Preliminary Injunction,” Lin, an appointee of Democratic former President Joe Biden, wrote. The White House and the university had no immediate comment on the ruling.
UCLA said last week the government froze $584 million infunding.Trumphas threatened to cut federal funds for universities over pro-Palestinian student protests against U.S. allyIsrael’s military assault on Gaza.
It was not immediately clear how much of the frozenfundingwas thejudgeordering to berestored.
The University of California said last week it was reviewing a settlement offer by theTrumpadministrationfor UCLA in which the university will pay $1 billion. It said such a large payment would “devastate” the institution.
The governmentallegesuniversities, including UCLA, allowed antisemitism during the protests.
Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say the government wronglyequatestheir criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism, and their advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for extremism.
Experts haveraisedfree speech and academic freedom concerns over the Republican president’s threats. Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom called theTrumpadministration’s settlement offer a form of extortion.
Large demonstrations took place at UCLA last year. Last month, UCLAagreed to payover $6 million to settle a lawsuit alleging antisemitism. It was alsosued this yearover a2024 violent mob attackon pro-Palestinian protesters.
Rights advocates note a rise inantisemitism,anti-Arab bias and Islamophobiadue to conflict in the Middle East. TheTrumpadministrationhas not announced equivalent probes into Islamophobia.
The government has settled its probes withColumbia University, which agreed to pay over $220 million, andBrown University, which said it will pay $50 million. Both accepted certain government demands. Settlement talks withHarvard Universityare ongoing.
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