The Trump administration has escalated its efforts to control campus discourse by freezing billions in federal funding to prominent universities over allegations of antisemitism and opposition to pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Cornell University and Northwestern University are among the schools targeted, with over $1 billion and $790 million in funding, respectively, now on hold. The funds, primarily tied to research grants and federal contracts with departments such as Defense, Education, and Health, are suspended while the administration conducts civil rights investigations.
The freeze comes after a warning issued last month to 60 universities that federal support could be withheld if schools failed to curb what the administration described as antisemitic activity stemming from protests over the Israel-Gaza conflict. President Donald Trump has characterized the protests as supportive of Hamas and dangerous to national security.
Both Cornell and Northwestern stated they had not yet received formal notice of the funding freeze but confirmed that some research projects had been halted due to Defense Department stop-work orders. Northwestern emphasized that the suspended funding supports critical research, including innovations in pacemaker technology and Alzheimer’s treatment.
Critics, including civil liberties groups, argue the administration’s actions raise serious concerns about academic freedom and the suppression of protected political speech. They also warn of rising Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment amid the administration’s aggressive response to the protests. Some foreign student demonstrators have reportedly been detained and face deportation, while others have had their visas revoked.
The funding crackdown has expanded beyond protests. In March, the administration suspended $175 million in federal support to the University of Pennsylvania over its transgender sports policies. It also halted $400 million in funding to Columbia University, though the school has since begun discussions with officials after agreeing to unspecified changes.
With the administration now reviewing $9 billion in federal support to Harvard, institutions nationwide are bracing for further scrutiny — and potentially more sweeping cuts.
