Judge Restores UCLA Federal Funding After Lawsuit

A federal judge ordered the UCLA federal funding restored, reversing a Trump administration freeze on $500 million in federal grant money. U.S. District Judge Rita Lin granted a preliminary injunction in San Francisco. The government, she explained, likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act. This law requires specific procedures and detailed explanations for any federal funding cuts. Instead, the government sent UCLA generalized form letters. These letters suspended various grants but provided no specific details. Therefore, the judge’s ruling found the government’s action unlawful.

This decision follows a previous ruling. Judge Lin already restored $81 million in grants from the National Science Foundation in August. She ruled those cuts violated a June preliminary injunction. That earlier order had required the National Science Foundation to restore grants it had terminated across the entire University of California system. Meanwhile, this latest ruling impacts hundreds of medical research grants. These grants, from the National Institutes of Health, fund critical studies. They support research into Parkinson’s disease treatment, cancer recovery, and nerve regeneration. University leaders argue these projects are vital for improving American health.

The Trump administration has used federal funding to push for reforms at universities. The administration has launched investigations into diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. They claim these programs discriminate against white and Asian American students. Similarly, they have held up funds over claims of antisemitism. Columbia and Brown universities have settled similar disputes to preserve their funding. However, Harvard sued and won. A federal judge ruled that their funding freeze amounted to “illegal retaliation.” California’s Governor Gavin Newsom called the administration’s proposed $1 billion payment from UCLA an “extortion attempt.” UCLA, in fact, said such a large payment would “devastate” the institution. The judge’s decision to have UCLA federal funding restored is a major victory for the university.

Attribution: Source: The Associated Press