by According to a report released Friday, the Trump administration demanded that UCLA pay more than $1 billion to resolve claims that it had infringed upon the rights of Israeli and Jewish students.
The university would have to pay the federal government $1 billion in installments and create a $172 million claims fund for those affected by the university’s alleged civil rights violations, according to a draft of a proposed settlement that was sent to the university on Friday and obtained by CNN.
According to CNN, the proposal would also call for the creation of a senior administrator who would be responsible for ensuring that anti-discrimination rules are followed and the appointment of a monitor to supervise the university’s activities.
In a statement, James B. Milliken, president of the University of California system, acknowledged that the university had received the $1 billion proposal from the Department of Justice and that it was being reviewed. However, he said that such a sum would completely destroy the system.
We promised to have a sincere conversation with the Department earlier this week in order to safeguard the university and its vital research mission, Milliken stated. In addition to severely harming our students and all Californians, a payment of this magnitude would totally destroy the best public university system in the nation. As a public university, we are stewards of taxpayer dollars. For medical treatments and technology that save lives, boost the American economy, and safeguard our national security, Americans all around this wonderful country depend on UCLA and the UC system.
The U.S. Department of Justice declared on July 29 that it had found UCLA had violated the rights of Israeli and Jewish students by neglecting to appropriately address reports of serious, widespread, and objectively offensive harassment and abuse that occurred between October 7, 2023, and the present.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “Our investigation into the University of California system has found concerning evidence of systemic anti-Semitism at UCLA that demands severe accountability from the institution.” This heinous violation of students’ civil rights will not be tolerated: DOJ will continue our ongoing investigations into other UC campuses and make UCLA pay a hefty price for endangering Jewish Americans.
A few days later, the administration declared that it was blocking science and medical research awards totaling millions of dollars from UCLA. The National Science Foundation notified UCLA in writing that it was ending the funding because the university still discriminates against students based on their race, both in the admissions process and in other aspects of student life, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, some UCLA students have complained about antisemitic events on campus. A massive pro-Palestinian encampment was eventually removed in an overnight police raid that resulted in hundreds of arrests, and the complaints rose during Israel’s subsequent assault in Gaza and student protests.
Milliken said in a statement last week that $584 million in suspended and at-risk funds were impacted by the research award freeze. According to Milliken, the decision to freeze research funding constituted a death knell for essential research, but the UC system had agreed to hold talks with the government administration about it.
Our immediate objective is to restore the university’s $584 million in federal financing that has been suspended and is at stake as quickly as possible, Milliken stated. Antisemitism is not addressed by these cuts. Furthermore, it appears that the substantial efforts made by UCLA and the University of California as a whole to prevent antisemitism have gone unnoticed. The proposed cuts would be a death knell for creative work that strengthens our national security, boosts our economy, and saves lives. Restoring funding is in the best interests of our nation.
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According to UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk, the decision to freeze the awards was a setback for Americans across whose future, health, and employment depend on the innovative work we perform.
According to Frenk, the loss of hundreds of funds might have a negative impact on the lives and transformative work of UCLA faculty, staff, and researchers. The federal government cites bias and antisemitism as the causes in its warning to us. Defunding life-saving research is a harsh punishment that doesn’t answer any claims of prejudice.
Eliminating antisemitism in society is something we both want to do. Discrimination of any kind, including antisemitism, is unacceptable on our campus. We know we can do better, and I’m determined to do it. Effectively combating the evil of antisemitism requires consideration, dedication, and consistent work, and UCLA has taken strong steps to ensure that our campus is a secure and friendly place for all students.
Updated on August 8, 2025, at 11:55 a.m.
The City News Service
