President Donald Trump has demanded the University of California (UC) system pay a $1 billion fine over its handling of 2024 student protests at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), linked to the Gaza conflict, alleging the institution failed to address antisemitism.
The sum is five times larger than the settlement Columbia University agreed to in a similar federal case. UC President James Milliken confirmed receiving the demand on Friday, warning that such a payment would “completely devastate” the 10-campus public university system and harm students across the state.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a UC board member, vowed to challenge the demand in court, accusing Trump of attempting to “silence academic freedom” through “extortion.”
Reports indicate the administration also wants UC to pay \$172 million into a compensation fund for Jewish students and others allegedly affected by discrimination. The Trump administration has already frozen more than half a billion dollars in medical and science grants to UCLA.
The move mirrors tactics used against Columbia University and attempts to pressure Harvard University, with settlements including bans on race-conscious admissions and hiring policies. Newsom insisted California would not follow that path, stating, “We will not be complicit in this kind of attack on academic freedom.”
Pro-Palestinian protests swept dozens of US campuses in 2024, leading to police crackdowns and violence. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump and his MAGA movement have targeted universities, portraying them as liberal and hostile to nationalist policies.
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