Cornell in the crosshairs: Trump freezes $1 billion over campus antisemitism probe

In a sweeping move aimed at enforcing anti-discrimination laws on college campuses, the Trump administration has frozen over $1 billion in federal funding to Cornell University and $790 million to Northwestern University, citing ongoing civil rights investigations. “The money was frozen in connection with several ongoing, credible, and concerning Title VI investigations,” a Trump administration official told Fox News. The halted funds reportedly involve grants and contracts from several federal departments, including Agriculture, Defense, Education, and Health and Human Services, according to two officials who spoke with the New York Times. This action is part of a broader federal initiative targeting elite universities over what the administration describes as noncompliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, particularly in regard to antisemitism. The administration has taken similar steps against other prominent institutions in recent months. Harvard University is also under federal scrutiny. The Trump administration has launched a comprehensive review of $9 billion in grants and contracts awarded to the Ivy League school. This includes $255.6 million in current federal contracts between Harvard, its affiliates, and the government, along with $8.7 billion in long-term grant agreements, according to a Reuters report. "Harvard's failure to protect students on campus from antisemitic discrimination — all while promoting divisive ideologies over free inquiry — has put its reputation in serious jeopardy," Secretary of Education Linda McMahon told Reuters. "Harvard can right these wrongs and restore itself to a campus dedicated to academic excellence and truth-seeking, where all students feel safe on its campus." The moves come on the heels of a high-profile case involving Columbia University, which saw $400 million in federal funding withdrawn after the administration’s task force found the school had not sufficiently addressed antisemitism on campus. Columbia eventually agreed to several policy changes in response to the ultimatum, but reactions were split. While some Jewish organizations welcomed the shift, critics argued the federal action set a dangerous precedent that could chill academic freedom and free expression. The investigations reflect a broader campaign by the Trump administration to tie federal funding to strict enforcement of civil rights protections, particularly regarding campus climates and antisemitism. As scrutiny intensifies, institutions across the country are bracing for what could be a major redefinition of the boundaries between government oversight and academic independence.