Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: More than 70 martyrs in Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn.
Death toll from latest Israeli strikes on Gaza rises to 30
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Five killed in the Israeli bombing of a civilian vehicle on Al-Qassam Street in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip
Hamas confirms that it has no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah and affirms its commitment to the ceasefire agreement
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two civilians were killed and four others, including a child and an infant, were injured in an Israeli bombing of a house belonging to the Al-Banna family in the al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli airstrike targets the vicinity of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, west of Gaza City
Al-Qassam: We will postpone the handover of the body of the Israeli captive we found, which was scheduled for today, due to the occupation's violations
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: Israeli occupation aircraft launch airstrikes on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip
Netanyahu's office: At the end of the security consultations, the prime minister instructed the military to launch massive military strikes on the Gaza Strip immediately
President Aoun: We urge the activation of the monitoring committee, the cessation of hostilities, ongoing Israeli violations, attacks

White House cracks down on Cornell and Northwestern, freezes funds

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 9 Apr 2025 14:05
4 Min Read

The Trump administration freezes over $1.7 billion in funding for Cornell and Northwestern Universities, citing concerns over their handling of pro-Palestinian protests and "failure to protect Jewish students."

Listen
  • x
  • People walk on campus, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, February 2, 2024 (Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP)People walk on campus, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, February 2, 2024 (AP)

Last month, the Trump administration sent warning letters to 60 US universities it said were facing “potential enforcement actions” for what it described as “failure to protect Jewish students on campus” amid widespread pro-Palestinian protests last year.

The president of Cornell University, Michael Kotlikoff, responded with a bold op-ed in the New York Times titled, "Universities Like the One I Run Aren’t Afraid to Let People Argue". 

He said, “Universities, despite rapidly escalating political, legal and financial risks, cannot afford to cede the space of public discourse and the free exchange of ideas,” he wrote.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration froze over $1 billion in funding for Cornell University and $790 million for Northwestern University, which hosts a prominent journalism school, a US official said. The funding pause includes mostly grants and contracts with the federal departments of health, education, agriculture and defense.

Lee Bollinger, Columbia’s former president, in an interview with the Chronicle of Higher Education, described the situation as “an authoritarian takeover”.

Impact on critical research 

In a statement Tuesday night, Cornell officials said that they were aware of “media reports” suggesting the federal government was freezing $1bn in federal grants, and “while we have not received information that would confirm this figure, earlier today Cornell received more than 75 stop work orders from the Department of Defense related to research that is profoundly significant to American national defense, cybersecurity, and health.”

Cornell officials said the affected grants “include research into new materials for jet engines, propulsion systems, large-scale information networks, robotics, superconductors, and space and satellite communications, as well as cancer research.”

Related News

All US LNG terminals broke pollution laws, report finds

Toyota rejects $10 bln US investment claim in Japan

Northwestern also said it was aware of media reports about the funding freeze but had not received any official notification from the government and that it has cooperated in the investigation.

“Federal funds that Northwestern receives drive innovative and life-saving research, like the recent development by Northwestern researchers of the world’s smallest pacemaker, and research fueling the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. This type of research is now in jeopardy,” a Northwestern spokesperson said.

Introducing the world's smallest pacemaker 💜 The device is so tiny, it can fit inside the tip of a syringe—and be non-invasively injected into the body.

This new pacemaker is particularly well-suited to the tiny, fragile hearts of newborn babies with congenital heart defects. pic.twitter.com/wZ3eRNDrsc

— Northwestern (@NorthwesternU) April 2, 2025

The recent funding freezes at Cornell and Northwestern coincide with similar investigations at Brown, Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania. According to The New York Times, the Trump administration has already frozen at least $3.3 billion in federal funding for top universities over the past month, with additional billions still under review.

Cornell defends free speech amid funding freeze

In Cornell’s Tuesday statement, Kotlikoff defended the school as having “worked diligently to create an environment where all individuals and viewpoints are protected and respected,” and said they were “actively seeking information from federal officials to learn more about the basis for these decisions.”

“We cannot let our caution overtake our purpose,” Kotlikoff had written in the New York Times piece. “Our colleges and universities are cradles of democracy and bulwarks against autocracy.”

Trump has attempted to crack down on pro-Palestinian campus protests against "Israel’s" devastating war on Gaza, where "Israel" is currently being investigated by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocidal war crimes. In 2024, the ICJ ordered "Israel" to halt "genocidal acts". 

The US president has called the protesters "antisemitic", has labeled them as sympathetic to Hamas and foreign policy threats.

Protesters, including some Jewish groups, argue that the Trump administration incorrectly equates their criticism of "Israel’s" actions in Gaza and their advocacy for Palestinian rights with antisemitism and support for Hamas. Human rights advocates have also expressed concerns about the impact of the administration's crackdown on free speech and academic freedom.

In March, the Trump administration canceled $400m in funding for Columbia University, the center of last year’s pro-Palestinian campus protests.

Columbia faced backlash from academics and free speech organizations after agreeing to major changes demanded by the Trump administration. These included placing its Middle Eastern studies department under new administration, banning face masks on campus, granting campus security officers the authority to remove or arrest individuals, and increasing "intellectual diversity" by expanding its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies. 

  • United States
  • Cornell
  • northwestern university
  • Pro-Palestine
  • Israel
  • white house

Most Read

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Abu Hamza, the spokesperson for the Al-Quds Brigades, during a speech televised on October 22, 2025 (Al-Quds Brigades Military Media)

Al-Quds Brigades' Abu Hamza mourns leaders, vows continued resistance

  • Politics
  • 22 Oct 2025
US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

  • Africa
  • 23 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Members of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and Egyptian workers search for the bodies of hostages in a tunnel discovered during searches in Hamad City, Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'Israel' obstructing Gaza body recovery, creating false claims: Hamas

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawwaf Salam talks to US Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus at the Grand Serail in Beirut, Lebanon, October 28, 2025 (NNA)
Politics

Salam conveys to Ortagus goals behind any possible negotiations

Writers boycott NYT, demand justice as Gaza media ban faces court
Politics

300+ writers boycott NYT Opinion, cite persistent anti-Palestine bias

Settlers attack West Bank olive harvesters, Injure 3 Palestinians
Politics

Settlers attack West Bank olive harvesters, injure 3 Palestinians

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS