University of California coalition sues Trump admin

Faculty, staff, student organizations and labor unions across the University of California (UC) system filed a federal lawsuit this week challenging the Trump administration’s $1.2 billion penalty against UCLA and seeking restoration of suspended research funding.

The allegations: The suit, filed Tuesday in San Francisco by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and represented by Democracy Forward, accuses the Trump administration of using “financial coercion” and making unconstitutional demands in its proposed settlement with UCLA.

The administration allegedly demanded that UCLA “cede control over curriculum, faculty hiring and promotion, and university admissions” to federal monitors, while also requiring it to end diversity scholarships, ban overnight demonstrations and cooperate with immigration enforcement.

The suit also challenges what it calls the “blunt cudgel” of “abrupt, unilateral and unlawful termination of federal research funding” that threatens both institutional independence and public interest.

Why this matters: The legal challenge comes as federal authorities investigate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs across higher education, alleging discrimination against white and Asian American applicants. Yet fall 2024 UC data shows Asian Americans have significantly higher admission rates, with 76.6% compared to 68% for Latinos, 65% for whites and 60% for Black students.

Overall, Asian Americans represent 36.3% of UC undergraduates while comprising just 19% of California high school graduates meeting university requirements. The controversy gains additional significance as UCLA achieved a historic first last month: naming its nursing school after Asian American philanthropist Joe C. Wen following his $30 million commitment.

Broader implications: UC President James Milliken has characterized the federal pressure as among “the gravest threats” to the university system in its 157-year-history, with all 10 campuses now under government investigation and over $17 billion in annual federal support at risk.

The crisis has forced immediate changes. At UCLA, scientists are reportedly reducing laboratory activities and weighing staff cuts. The administration appears to be following its Columbia University approach, where a $200 million settlement this summer established a precedent for substantial financial penalties against universities.

A federal judge indicated Thursday that she was “inclined to extend” an earlier ruling to restore an additional $500 million in frozen UCLA medical research grants, citing violations of the Administrative Procedure Act.