The government of US President Donald Trump cut hundreds of University of California subsidies in Los Angeles (UCLA) amid reports of anti -Semitism against the institution for allowing protests in favor of Palestine.
UCLA Rector Julio Frenk said in a letter that the university received a notification from the US government about the “suspension of certain research funds” granted by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Health Institutes (NIH) and other agencies.
“The news we received is deeply disappointing. With this decision, hundreds of subsidies could be lost, which would negatively affect the lives and work that transforms lives from UCLA researchers, teachers and staff,” said Frenk, who is Mexican and the first Latin to command the university.
Although the dean did not specify the value, the Los Angeles Times newspaper estimates that the cuts would total $ 200 million.
Blocking the back is days after the revelation of an agreement where UCLA is expected to pay more than $ 6 million to resolve a process filed by three Jewish students and an institution’s teacher for allowing a protest in favor of Palestine.
United States Attorney General Pam Bondi warned on Tuesday that the Justice Department (DOJ) will “forces UCLA to pay a high price by putting American Jews at risk,” ensuring that “there is worrying evidence about systematic anti-Semitism” at university.
Frenk, who is a Jewish, confirmed that the government claims “anti -Semitism and prejudice as the reasons” to cut back, but argued that “this punishment of removing research funds that saves lives does nothing to combat alleged discrimination.”
“We share the goal of eradicating anti -Semitism in our society,” he said.
UCLA is the latest case of Trump government actions aiming at universities, on the argument of combating anti -Semitism, due to protests and camps against Israel in 2024.
Columbia and Brown universities have announced agreements for the past two weeks, where the former agreed to pay $ 200 million and the second, $ 50 million to resolve conflicts, while Harvard still negotiates a solution.
