After Princeton, Trump froze over $1 bn in funding for Cornell, Northwestern Universities

THE Donald Trump administration has frozen over $1 billion in funding for Cornell University and $790 million for Northwestern University as it investigates both institutions for alleged civil rights violations, according to a US official who spoke to Reuters on Tuesday.

“The funding being paused includes mostly grants and contracts with the federal departments of health, education, agriculture and defense,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters.

The Trump administration has threatened to withhold federal funding from universities due to pro-Palestinian campus protests, as well as concerns over diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and transgender policies.

Last month, the administration sent a letter to 60 universities, including Cornell and Northwestern, warning that enforcement actions could be taken if a review found the schools had failed to address what it described as antisemitism.

Cornell University stated that while it had not received official notification regarding the total amount or value of the funding freeze, it had received stop-work orders from the Department of Defense concerning research in defense, health, and cybersecurity. The university added that it was seeking further information from the government.

Northwestern University acknowledged media reports about the funding freeze but confirmed it had not received any official notification from the government. The university also stated that it has been cooperating with the ongoing investigation.

"Federal funds that Northwestern receives drive innovative and life-saving research, like the recent development by Northwestern researchers of the world's smallest pacemaker, and research fueling the fight against Alzheimer's disease. This type of research is now in jeopardy," a Northwestern spokesperson said.

Trump has attempted to crack down on pro-Palestinian campus protests against US ally Israel's devastating military assault on Gaza, which has caused a humanitarian crisis in the enclave and followed a deadly October 2023 attack by the Islamist group Hamas.

The US president has called the protesters antisemitic and has labeled them as sympathetic to Hamas militants and as foreign policy threats.

Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say the Trump administration wrongly conflates their criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza and advocacy for Palestinian rights with antisemitism and support for Hamas.

Trump's crackdown on schools

Human rights advocates have raised concerns about free speech and academic freedom in response to the Trump administration's crackdown on universities.

Last week, the US government announced a review of $9 billion in federal grants and contracts to Harvard University and set specific conditions the university must meet to receive federal funding. Similarly, Princeton University revealed that the government had frozen dozens of its research grants, Reuters reported.

In addition, last month, the Trump administration canceled $400 million in funding for Columbia University, which was at the center of last year's pro-Palestinian campus protests.

Columbia University has agreed to make significant changes as demanded by the Trump administration to begin discussions about restoring its federal funding.

In addition, federal agents have detained several foreign student protesters from various campuses in recent weeks and are working to deport them. The government has also revoked the visas of many foreign students involved in protests.

Rights advocates have expressed concerns about Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias during the Israel-Gaza conflict, but the Trump administration has yet to announce any actions in response.

Furthermore, in March, the administration suspended $175 million in funding to the University of Pennsylvania due to its policies regarding transgender sports participation.