Overview
- Cornell University faces a $1 billion funding freeze, while Northwestern University is set to lose $790 million, as confirmed by the Trump administration late Tuesday night.
- The frozen funds, spanning grants and contracts from multiple federal agencies, are tied to investigations into alleged failures to protect Jewish students and address campus antisemitism.
- This action follows earlier funding cuts to Columbia, UPenn, and other Ivy League schools, highlighting the administration's focus on elite institutions in historically Democratic states.
- Princeton University has publicly refused to alter its policies in response to similar federal funding threats, citing a commitment to academic freedom and institutional values.
- Critics, including human rights advocates, have raised concerns about free speech and academic autonomy, accusing the administration of conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism.