A federal judge has issued a significant ruling against the Trump administration, blocking its attempt to cut federal funding from the University of California system over claims it permitted antisemitism and other forms of discrimination on campus.
Legal Victory for Academic Freedom
In a sharply worded decision delivered late on Friday, US District Judge Rita Lin in San Francisco granted a preliminary injunction that prevents the administration from cancelling funding to the university based on alleged discrimination without first providing notice to affected faculty and conducting proper hearings.
The ruling represents a major setback for the White House, which had demanded that the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) pay $1.2bn to restore frozen research funding and ensure future eligibility. The administration had accused the university of allowing antisemitism on its campus, making UCLA the first public university to be targeted with such allegations.
A 'Playbook' to Purge 'Woke' Viewpoints
Judge Lin found compelling evidence presented by labour unions and groups representing UC staff and students. She stated that the Trump administration was engaged in a 'concerted campaign to purge 'woke', 'left' and 'socialist' viewpoints' from leading 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 pre-eminent universities to justify cutting off federal funding,' Lin wrote in her ruling. She added that the undisputed goal was to 'bring universities to their knees' and force an ideological change.
The judge determined that at UC, which is facing multiple civil rights probes, the administration had engaged in 'coercive and retaliatory conduct in violation of the first amendment and 10th amendment'. Her order will remain in effect indefinitely.
Broader Implications and University Response
The case has far-reaching consequences for academic freedom. Judge Lin's injunction also specifically blocks the administration from forcing UC schools to screen international students based on 'anti-western' or 'anti-American' views, or to adopt specific definitions of 'male' and 'female'.
University of California President, James B Milliken, had previously warned that the massive fine demanded from UCLA would be devastating for the entire UC system, which includes some of the nation's top public colleges.
In a statement, the university system said it 'remains committed to protecting the mission, governance and academic freedom of the university'. The UC is currently in settlement talks with the administration but was not a party to this particular lawsuit, which was brought by faculty and employee groups.
The Trump administration has launched similar investigations against dozens of universities, including private institutions like Columbia University, as part of its broader campaign against perceived liberal bias in higher education.
