The Trump administration has taken decisive action against the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), withdrawing a substantial $200 million in federal research funding. This move comes on the heels of a Department of Justice (DOJ) ruling which found that UCLA had violated the civil rights of Jewish students amid anti-Israel protests on campus in April 2024.
President Donald Trump's DOJ, under the leadership of Harmeet Dhillon, the head of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, acted swiftly following a civil rights lawsuit settlement involving Jewish students at UCLA. The lawsuit's resolution did not prevent the DOJ from determining that the university had infringed upon the Fourteenth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The controversy at the core of this significant federal response originated when UCLA allowed pro-Palestinian activists to establish an “encampment” at a central location on campus. Instead of disbanding the protest, the university erected metal barricades around it and permitted the activists to monitor entry. Reports indicated that Jewish students faced barriers to passage unless they publicly renounced their support for Israel. Moreover, there were allegations of journalists being assaulted.
In a letter addressed to UCLA officials, Dhillon condemned the university's indifference to what was described as a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students. The Department accused UCLA of violating both the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Despite being invited to resolve the issue voluntarily, the Trump administration did not hesitate to suspend funding.
UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk notified the faculty and staff of the suspension of funds from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and other federal sources in an email stating that the government cited "antisemitism and bias" as the underlying reasons for their action.
Breitbart News reported that the university's initial lack of action, and its protection of the protesters, persisted until Jewish vigilantes dismantled the encampment themselves. Until that point, no substantial steps were taken by UCLA to protect the Jewish students who were targeted.
The move has been commended by Senate Republicans and Jewish advocacy groups, calling it a necessary action against the mistreatment of Jewish students under the guise of activism. President Trump's decision is part of a larger initiative to ensure that taxpayer-funded universities do not condone antisemitism.
The DOJ's investigation into UCLA represents a significant instance of civil rights enforcement related to campus activism sparked by the Israel-Hamas conflict. UCLA's encampment was among the most extreme. Despite criticism, Chancellor Frenk maintained that the university is committed to combating antisemitism.
The Trump administration's actions have been verified through communications obtained by the Daily Caller, which also allege other civil rights violations by UCLA, such as illegal affirmative action practices and issues regarding gendered sports and spaces.
