University of California faculty sues Trump over funding cuts
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The research programs of the University of California were severely impacted by the Trump administration's government funds.
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Children play outside Royce Hall at the University of California, Los Angeles campus, on August 15, 2024 (AP)
Faculty members and researchers at the University of California have filed a lawsuit against US President Donald Trump and several government agencies over research funding cuts, NBC News reported.
The professors planned to file the first-ever class action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's severe reductions in research funding and grants, which have already resulted in layoffs and the discontinuation of many projects, according to the broadcaster.
Claudia Polsky, the founding director of the University of California's environmental law clinic, filed the case late Wednesday in the United States District Court in San Francisco.
The station quoted Polsky as saying that while she had not directly been hurt by the budget loss, she was inspired to join colleagues in a lawsuit without institutional backing.
In early 2025, the Trump administration began cutting government funds, which had a substantial impact on research programs in the University of California system.
UC follows in Harvard's footsteps
On April 15, the US Department of Education announced the cancellation of $2.2 billion in funds to Harvard. Kristy Noem, US Secretary of Homeland Security, said on May 22 that the institution could no longer accept international students and that current foreign students must transfer to other colleges.
On May 23, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the administration's prohibition on foreign enrollment, and the court granted it a Temporary Restraining Order later that day.
The lawsuit alleges that the administration’s decision to withdraw financial backing jeopardizes academic independence and violates constitutional rights.
According to the lawsuit, the US government’s actions threaten essential research conducted on Harvard’s campus and form part of a broader attempt to penalize the institution for defending its legal rights.
The complaint emphasizes that federal funding is vital for "lifesaving and pathbreaking research" at the university.
