Trump Admin Freezes Over $1.7 Billion to Cornell and Northwestern

In a bold escalation of its campaign against antisemitism in higher education, the Trump administration has reportedly frozen more than $1.7 billion in federal funding to Cornell University and Northwestern University over civil rights violations, according to multiple media reports.

This dramatic move follows the administration’s earlier funding cuts to several Ivy League institutions: $500 million from Brown, $400 million from Columbia, and $210 million from Princeton. The sweeping actions come in response to what the White House says is a failure by universities to combat antisemitic harassment and protect Jewish students under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Cornell officials said they were blindsided by the freeze, learning about it through the media without prior notification from the administration. According to The New York Times, two senior Trump administration officials confirmed the freeze, which reportedly affects grants and contracts from the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Education, and Health and Human Services.

The American Jewish Committee acknowledged the need for universities to take real action against campus antisemitism, but also warned that blanket funding freezes could jeopardize America's global leadership in innovation and research.

“Funding cuts or freezes are essential tools of last resort when addressing discrimination in federally funded programs,” the AJC said in a statement. “Efforts to remedy problems in educational institutions must be transparent, specifically targeted, and must not curtail academic freedom.”

The Department of Education previously notified 60 universities that they risk losing federal support if they failed to address antisemitic harassment on campus. This latest move shows that those warnings were far from symbolic.

The implications are significant. Federal funding is a vital lifeline for university research, especially in fields like engineering, medicine, and technology. Just weeks ago, the National Science Foundation highlighted a Cornell-Northwestern project involving a revolutionary polymer for future body armor. That kind of research now hangs in the balance.

While many universities have condemned antisemitism, critics argue that too little has been done in the wake of an explosion of anti-Israel activism on campuses some of which has veered into blatant Jew-hatred.

The Trump administration’s aggressive stance has drawn both praise and concern. Supporters say it's finally holding elite institutions accountable. Critics worry it could set a precedent that politicizes academic funding.

But for Jewish students facing real hostility, the message is clear: the days of ignoring antisemitism in the name of academic tolerance are over.

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