A federal judge in San Francisco has ordered the Trump administration to restore $500 million in federal grant funding that had been frozen at UCLA.
U.S. District Judge Rita Lin granted a preliminary injunction, finding the government likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act in its handling of the funding cuts.
The big picture: The Act requires specific procedural steps and clear explanations before federal funding can be cut, which were not followed according to the judge.
- UCLA was initially informed about multiple grant suspensions through generalized form letters lacking specific details.
Flashback: In August, UCLA announced that $584 million in federal grants had been suspended amid allegations of civil rights violations connected to accusations of antisemitism and affirmative action policies.
- Earlier rulings by Judge Lin restored $81 million in National Science Foundation grants to UCLA, affirming the university’s argument that those cuts violated an earlier injunction.
- The Trump administration had used federal funding as leverage to push for reforms at elite universities, citing concerns over liberal bias and antisemitism on campuses.
- Investigations targeted diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, alleging discrimination against white and Asian American students.
- Similar funding disputes affected other institutions, including Columbia, Brown, and Harvard universities; Columbia and Brown reached deals to preserve funding, while Harvard pursued legal action resulting in a judge ruling against the Trump administration’s punitive funding freeze.
- The administration proposed a $1 billion settlement from UCLA to resolve the investigation, which California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned as an attempt at extortion. UCLA stated such a payment would be devastating to the institution.
