Trump Admin Freezes $1B for Cornell, $790M for Northwestern

The Trump administration has frozen over $1 billion in federal funding for Cornell University and approximately $790 million for Northwestern University while investigating alleged civil rights violations at the schools, the White House confirmed.

This funding freeze is part of a broader effort to use federal grants to pressure major academic institutions to align with President Donald Trump’s political agenda. The White House announced the funding suspensions late Tuesday, but provided no specific details regarding which grants are affected or the exact nature of the investigation, according to AP reports.

The move follows a pattern in the Trump administration’s efforts to leverage government funding to influence campus policies. Previously, the administration cut funding to universities like Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, leaving institutions struggling to deal with the financial repercussions, especially in research areas.

Cornell University said it received over 75 stop-work orders from the Defense Department earlier this week related to research critical to national defense, cybersecurity, and public health. However, the university stated it had not received official confirmation about the $1 billion in frozen grants. "We are actively seeking information from federal officials to learn more about the basis for these decisions," said a statement from Michael I. Kotlikoff, Cornell’s president, and other top officials.

Northwestern University also confirmed it had not been notified by the federal government about the funding freeze. Northwestern spokesperson Jon Yates emphasized that the university had fully cooperated with investigations by both the Education Department and Congress. “Federal funds that Northwestern receives drive innovative and life-saving research, like the recent development of the world’s smallest pacemaker and ongoing Alzheimer’s disease research. This type of research is now at risk,” Yates said.

Last month, the Education Department sent letters to more than 60 universities, including Cornell and Northwestern, warning of potential enforcement actions if they fail to fulfill their obligations under federal law to protect Jewish students on campus. This includes ensuring uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities. The Trump administration has threatened to cut off federal funding for universities that allow alleged antisemitism to go unaddressed, particularly following protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza. The universities involved have denied the accusations.

Critics argue that these funding freezes could harm scientific and medical research without effectively addressing the issue of antisemitism on campuses. Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, called the approach misguided. "This was wrong last week, it is wrong this week, and it will be wrong next week," he said.

The Education Department has yet to comment on the situation.