The latest news indicates that the Trump administration in the United States has recently imposed major sanctions on Cornell University and Northwestern University, freezing over $1.8 billion in federal funding. The reason behind this action is that both universities are accused of violating civil rights laws, including failing to prevent anti-Semitic speech and behavior.
According to Reuters, anonymous US officials revealed that Cornell University has had over $1 billion frozen, while Northwestern University’s frozen funds amount to $790 million. These funds mainly come from grants and research contracts from the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Defense.
Cornell University has stated that they have not yet received formal notification of the frozen funds from the government, but they have received a “stop-work order” from the Department of Defense regarding the university’s research projects on national defense, health, and cybersecurity. They are currently actively seeking more information from the government.
Northwestern University has stated that they are cooperating with the investigation but have not received formal notification from the government yet. The university emphasized that federal funding is crucial for their key research, including the development of the world’s smallest pacemaker and Alzheimer’s treatment. A spokesperson for the university warned, “Innovative medical research like this is now at risk of interruption.”
Last month, the federal government sent an open letter to 60 universities, including Cornell University and Northwestern University, warning that if the institutions did not strictly adhere to relevant federal anti-discrimination laws and effectively stop anti-Semitic behavior, they would face the risk of federal funding suspension.
This action is part of a series of measures taken by the Trump administration recently to reform higher education institutions. In addition to campus protests supporting Palestine, the government is also reviewing and penalizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies as well as transgender-related policies on campus.
Last month, Columbia University had $400 million in funding canceled due to anti-Israel protests, and the university made several policy adjustments under pressure before resuming negotiations with the government. Harvard University is currently under review for its $9 billion funding, and Princeton University has had funding for several research projects frozen. Furthermore, due to controversy surrounding transgender rights policies, the Trump administration suspended $175 million in federal funding to Penn State University in March.
In addition to freezing federal funding, the Trump administration has also intensified scrutiny of international students. Media reports have stated that international students from the Middle East, Asia, and Europe who participated in pro-Palestine demonstrations have been detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Several dozen individuals on F-1 (student visa) or J-1 (exchange visitor visa) have had their visas revoked, and some students have been deported back to their home countries.
(Reference: Reports from Reuters)