University of California sues Trump over grant cuts, ideological pressure

A coalition of 21 unions and faculty associations representing more than 100,000 University of California (UC) employees filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, accusing his administration of illegally imposing a conservative ideological agenda on the UC system through financial pressure and constitutional violations. The suit challenges a $1.2 billion fine levied against UCLA and the suspension of research grants amid federal investigations into campus antisemitism.

Filed in federal court in San Francisco, the lawsuit contends that the Trump administration’s actions violate UC employees’ free speech and due process rights. The Department of Justice (DOJ), which alleges UCLA has failed to adequately address antisemitism, demands sweeping policy changes on admissions, hiring, scholarships, diversity, gender identity, and sports programs, Los Angeles Times reports.

The suit also claims the administration’s tactics infringe upon the 10th Amendment by attempting to “take over day-to-day management” of UC through threats to cut the university’s $17 billion annual federal funding if it does not comply. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on the case.

“This is the second lawsuit filed independently by UC faculty and staff to challenge federal grant cuts and resist government efforts to shift UC’s mission and values toward a conservative agenda on race, diversity, LGBTQ+ issues, and immigration,” said Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, a plaintiff group.

“We will not stand by as the Trump administration tries to destroy one of the largest public university higher education systems in the country and bludgeons academic freedom at the University of California, the heart of the revered free speech movement,” he added.

UC President James B. Milliken has described the $500 million in UCLA grant cuts and the proposed fine as “devastating” and an existential threat but has refrained from suing the administration. “We’re doing this because the UC administration has not yet,” said Anna Markowitz, president of the UCLA Faculty Association, one of the suing parties. “We certainly hope they join us in this suit because we understand they are under intense pressure from the federal government.”

The complaint highlights the broader impact of federal actions on UC campuses statewide, including prior grant suspensions at UC Davis and San Diego, and alleges violations of the Administrative Procedure Act governing executive rulemaking. It documents widespread effects on faculty, Ph.D. students, librarians, and nurses facing layoffs, budget cuts, and restrictions on speech as campuses respond to federal demands.

UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk defended the university’s efforts to address antisemitism and noted, “De-funding medical research does nothing” to resolve these issues.

By Vafa Guliyeva