Why Trump’s attack on the University of California could reshape public higher education

Why Trump’s attack on the University of California could reshape public higher education

US President Donald Trump has shifted his focus from elite private colleges to public universities, targeting the University of California system with accusations of fostering antisemitism. The US Justice Department has suspended $584 million in federal research grants to UCLA and threatened to sue unless the university enters negotiations. UC President James Milliken, only days into his role, confirmed on Wednesday that talks were underway, marking an early test of his leadership and of the university’s willingness to cooperate, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Widening pressure on public institutions

The UC system isn’t the only one feeling heat. In recent weeks, George Mason University and the University of Virginia—both public—have come under pressure, with UVA President James Ryan resigning amid tensions with the White House. While Trump has already secured multimillion-dollar settlements from Columbia and Brown, the new approach goes deeper, targeting the structure, policies and hiring practices of taxpayer-funded universities that educate a large portion of the American population.

Justice Department expands investigations into hiring and admissions

Federal scrutiny now extends beyond campus protests. In June, the Justice Department launched an investigation into UC’s employment strategy, citing its stated aim to hire more diverse faculty. Another probe, focused on admissions at Berkeley, UCLA and UC Irvine, examines potential violations of the Supreme Court’s 2023 ban on race-based preferences. Though California has legally prohibited affirmative action since the 1990s, the administration claims recent practices may be circumventing that law.

Campus protests and allegations of antisemitism escalate tensions

The immediate trigger for the crackdown was UCLA’s spring 2024 protests, which featured a high-profile encampment and hundreds of arrests. DOJ accused the university of allowing a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students. UCLA had previously taken steps to respond, including launching a campus safety office and revising protest rules. But federal officials said these were insufficient, pointing to “pervasive harassment.” UCLA has not confirmed whether it will comply or challenge the accusations in court.

Faculty urge defiance amid fears of academic suppression

Many within the UC system see the federal moves as ideological overreach. More than 1,600 faculty, staff, and students have signed a letter demanding that UCLA reject negotiations and instead sue the federal government. Michael Chwe, a UCLA professor and board member of the faculty association, called the administration’s tactics “malicious” and warned of legitimizing bad-faith demands. Critics argue that the administration’s aim is not campus safety but ideological conformity across higher education.

Millions in vital research grants frozen

The impact is already visible. UC receives more NIH and NSF funding than any other institution, managing nearly 6,700 federal grants across ten campuses. One professor, Siobhan Braybrook, learned her National Science Foundation funding was frozen after seeing her name on a circulated list. Her lab, which studies seedling development for agriculture, had to halt operations. “We’re not just doing this for fun,” she said. “Our science has a purpose, and that’s being disrupted.”

UC leaders walk a fine line between cooperation and resistance

James Milliken, who took charge of UC on August 1, is navigating delicate terrain. He has extensive experience from the University of Texas system but now faces immediate demands from the Trump administration. In a statement, Milliken said the cuts “do nothing to address antisemitism” and warned that pulling funding from research could damage national security, economic growth and innovation. Faculty want stronger resistance, but Milliken has so far opted for negotiation.

Public universities become new battleground in Trump’s education war

Trump’s team has already reshaped private university policy through settlements that imposed new admissions oversight and monitoring. Now, public universities—often more diverse and closely tied to state governments—are the new front in a culture war that merges ideology, funding, and legal pressure. The Trump administration says it wants to “depoliticize” higher education, but critics say it’s an effort to silence dissent and strip universities of autonomy over whom they hire, admit, or support.

Decades of federal research now hang in the balance

The UC system educates nearly 300,000 students and operates three Department of Energy national labs, with research spanning nuclear energy, AI, and medical innovation. UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk warned that these cuts jeopardize America’s position as a global leader in science and discovery. “Public research universities,” he wrote in a campus memo, “are a uniquely American idea—and they move all of civilization forward.” That vision, many now fear, is under direct political attack.