美国联邦机构在法庭文件中承认，曾使用多样性、性别、疫苗犹豫和COVID-19相关关键词对加州大学研究项目进行筛选，并据此终止了超过1000项研究经费，总额约19亿美元 [1]。其中，国立卫生研究院单独暂停或取消了1000多项加州大学经费，近700项来自加州大学洛杉矶分校 [1]。运输部也确认为寻求"交通公平"或优先考虑"弱势社区"的项目终止了约4200万美元的6项经费 [1]。
加州大学研究人员的律师认为这一行为违反宪法第一修正案，声称政府按政治倾向靶向终止经费 [1]。律师还主张存在其他违宪行为，包括对已故副总统卡玛拉·哈里斯获胜州的283项能源部经费进行地域性惩罚，以及违反国会授权 [1]。研究人员已向法院要求立即恢复经费 [1]。
法官Rita F. Lin多次支持加州大学教授，并发布了多项初步禁令恢复经费 [1]。此前，特朗普政府曾要求加州大学洛杉矶分校支付12亿美元或面临进一步研究冻结 [1]。法庭听证会定于2025年10月20日举行 [1]。
Federal agencies have acknowledged in court documents that they used keywords including diversity, gender, vaccine hesitancy, and COVID-19 to identify and terminate over 1,000 research grants awarded to the University of California, totaling approximately $1.9 billion. [1]
The National Institutes of Health alone suspended or canceled more than 1,000 University of California grants, with nearly 700 originating from UCLA. [1] The Department of Transportation confirmed it terminated six grants worth approximately $42 million for projects seeking "transportation equity" and prioritizing "underserved communities." [1]
Attorneys representing the affected researchers argue the terminations constitute three distinct constitutional violations: First Amendment violations through politically motivated fund termination; geographic punishment targeting the 283 Department of Energy grants in states won by Kamala Harris; and violations of congressional authorization, as the terminated funds were not reallocated according to congressional directives. [1]
The Trump administration previously demanded that UCLA pay $1.2 billion or face further research freezes. [1] Judge Rita F. Lin has repeatedly sided with UC professors and issued multiple preliminary injunctions to restore funding. [1] A court hearing is scheduled for October 20, 2025. [1]