UC Admin Must Not Capitulate to Trump

The Trump administration’s freeze on $600 million in research grants at UCLA represents a fundamental attack on scientific progress and the core values of our university. UC has long represented a beacon of economic opportunity, excellence in research, and the pursuit of knowledge for the public good. We have long strived to ensure that UC reflects the diversity of Californians, and it is this value that is responsible for making the University of California the best public higher education institution in the world. This vision is now under threat. 

Make no mistake — the Trump administration’s decision isn’t about protecting students or public resources. Trump is holding hundreds of millions of dollars hostage meant to find cures for cancer and other diseases in order to impose his political agenda on our university. This will only hurt patients, students, and the entire UCLA community, regardless of faith or background. 

As the University begins to engage in dialogue with the Trump administration in order to restore funding, the University must refuse to compromise on our core values. We have already seen other universities, such as Columbia, Brown, and the University of Pennsylvania, abdicate their responsibility to their students, staff, faculty, and communities. In their settlements, these universities have agreed to give the Trump administration unprecedented control over university policy, restricting diversity initiatives and cracking down on academic freedom and free expression. UC must chart a different course.

The University has the ability to resist this encroachment, and it must use all available resources at its disposal to protect our scientific enterprise and the values that undergird its excellence. Namely, the University must use its endowment to ensure bridge funding for all researchers impacted by the funding freezes and use its vast legal resources to challenge the Trump administration’s unlawful actions. Governor Newsom has already vowed to fight the cuts in federal court, and UC should follow suit. 
 
Since the Trump administration began attacking higher education and research in January, UAW 4811 members have been at the forefront of the fight to protect education and scientific inquiry. We will continue to use all of our resources to protect public higher education, and we call on UC to demonstrate the same level of commitment to this crucial fight. 

Solidarity,

Rafael Jaime
President, UAW 4811 

Ximena Anleu Gil
Vice President, UAW 4811

Tanzil Chowdhury
ASE Statewide Unit Chair

Emma Dolan
PD/AR Statewide Unit Chair

Ahmed Allibhoy
Financial Secretary, UAW 4811

Julia Falo Sanjuan
Recording Secretary, UAW 4811

Jacob Fontana
Sergeant-at-Arms, UAW 4811

Danea Palmer
Guide, UAW 4811

Jacqueline Perez
Trustee, UAW 4811

Max Smiley
Trustee, UAW 4811

Mia Villegas
Trustee, UAW 4811