US Judge Blocks Trump From Penalising University Of California Over Antisemitism Claims

US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)

A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot fine the University of California (UC) or cut its federal funding over allegations of antisemitism or other forms of discrimination. The decision, issued on Friday, comes as part of a sharply worded preliminary injunction.

US District Judge Rita Lin, sitting in San Francisco, barred the administration from withholding funds from the UC system without providing proper notice to affected staff and holding a hearing, among other procedural requirements.

Earlier this year, the administration demanded that the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) pay $1.2 billion to restore research funding that had been frozen and to qualify for future grants.

UCLA was the first public university targeted under this approach, which the administration has also applied to private institutions, including Columbia University.

In her ruling, Judge Lin cited statements from unions and other groups representing UC faculty and students, saying they had supplied “overwhelming evidence” that the administration was conducting a systematic campaign to remove what it considered “woke,” “left-leaning,” or “socialist” viewpoints from major American universities.

“Agency officials, as well as the President and Vice President, have repeatedly and publicly announced a playbook of initiating civil rights investigations of preeminent universities to justify cutting off federal funding, with the goal of bringing universities to their knees and forcing them to change their ideological tune,” Lin wrote.

The judge found that the administration’s actions amounted to “coercive and retaliatory conduct,” violating both the First and Tenth Amendments. Her order will remain in effect indefinitely.

UC President James B. Milliken warned that the proposed fine would have been devastating for the university system, widely regarded as one of the leading public higher education networks in the United States.

UC is currently in settlement discussions with the administration and is not a direct party to the lawsuit. The university emphasised its commitment to safeguarding academic freedom and institutional governance.

The Trump administration had also requested that UCLA implement policies on gender identity, screen international students for “anti-American” or antisemitic views, and restrict teaching or research in certain areas. Similar settlements with Brown and Columbia universities involved payments of $50 million and $221 million, respectively.

Faculty and staff told the court that the administration’s actions had caused them to avoid teaching or researching topics they feared might be considered too “leftist” or “woke.”

(With inputs from AP)