Trump freezes $1.7 billion funding to Cornell, Northwestern universities amid investigations into civil rights violations

The Trump administration has put a hold on more than $1 billion in funding for Cornell University and $790 million for Northwestern University, citing ongoing investigations into civil rights violations. The suspended funds, mainly consisting of grants and contracts from federal departments including health, education, agriculture, and defense, are part of a broader scrutiny involving several universities across the United States. The scrutiny comes after the Trump administration warned 60 universities, including Cornell and Northwestern, of potential enforcement actions related to antisemitism allegations.

Northwestern University, acknowledged the media reports but said it has not received official notification. "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 fuelling the fight against Alzheimer's disease. This type of research is now in jeopardy," a Northwestern spokesperson noted. Cornell University, although silent on immediate comment requests, recently defended its stance on encouraging open dialogue on contentious issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The funding freeze is part of Trump's broader campaign against what he perceives as antisemitic actions linked to pro-Palestinian campus protests. The US president has labelled such protests as antisemitic, associating them with Hamas militants and describing them as foreign policy threats. This stance has been challenged by protesters, including Jewish advocacy groups, who argue that their criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza is being unfairly equated with antisemitism and support for Hamas.

The Trump administration's actions against academic institutions have sparked concerns among human rights advocates about the implications for free speech and academic freedom. The administration had previously withdrawn $400 million in funding from Columbia University following similar protests and imposed conditions on Harvard University to access $9 billion in federal grants. Furthermore, Princeton University confirmed that dozens of its research grants have been frozen.

Additional measures by the Trump administration include detaining and deporting foreign student protesters and revoking visas, reflecting a broader crackdown on dissenting voices in academia. In March, funding was also suspended for the University of Pennsylvania over its transgender sports policies. These actions have raised further alarms among rights advocates about potential biases, particularly concerning Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiments.