The Trump administration has decided to freeze over $1 billion in federal funding for Cornell University and another $790 million for Northwestern University. This move comes as part of a potential civil rights investigation into both of these prestigious institutions.
According to The New York Times, two officials from the Trump administration confirmed that the funding had been frozen. These funds are connected to various departments, including Agriculture, Education, Defense, and Health and Human Services. The freeze applies to grants and contracts that both universities had previously secured in these areas.
Northwestern University, in a statement to Fox News Digital, revealed that it had learned about the funding freeze from the media. The university expressed concern that this pause could significantly affect its operations. Northwestern emphasized that federal funds play a crucial role in funding innovative research at the institution, such as the recent development of the world’s smallest pacemaker.
Additionally, these funds support research in areas like Alzheimer’s disease, which the university said is now at risk due to the freeze. Northwestern also noted that it has fully cooperated with investigations conducted by both the Department of Education and Congress.
Neither Cornell University nor the White House immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comments regarding the freeze.
This decision comes just a week after the Trump administration paused over $1 billion in federal funding for Brown University. This funding halt was linked to the university’s handling of antisemitism in the wake of Hamas’ 2023 invasion of Israel.
A White House official confirmed that nearly $510 million in federal grants and contracts awarded to Brown University are now at stake. However, Brown University has stated that it has no information to support the reports of the funding freeze.
The Trump administration has extended this suspension of federal funding to almost every Ivy League school, excluding the University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth College. This move follows investigations into anti-Israel protests that have occurred on these campuses since October 2023. Similar investigations have also impacted several other universities across the country.
Columbia University, which had over $400 million in federal funding suspended, was the first Ivy League school to experience such a freeze. In response to this, the university made concessions to the Trump administration in hopes of restoring its funding.
This week, the federal antisemitism task force announced that it would review the nearly $9 billion in federal grants and contracts awarded to Harvard University. This review comes as Harvard is being investigated for antisemitism related to campus events. Princeton University has also confirmed that several of its research grants have been paused as part of similar investigations.
The Trump administration has made it clear that it intends to take a more aggressive stance in addressing antisemitism on campuses. The administration has criticized President Joe Biden’s handling of violent protests at universities and has pledged to take stronger actions. Additionally, the administration is making moves to detain and deport foreign students who have either participated in or organized anti-Israel protests at American universities.
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