Northwestern students protest Trump administration's higher ed policies

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, US - APR. 16, 2025: Faculty and students at Northwestern University took part in a nationwide day of action on Thursday (Apr. 17), rallying in opposition to the Trump administration’s recent measures targeting higher education.The protest, organized by Northwestern faculty, called on the university’s president and board of trustees to take a stand in defense of students, staff, and instructors amid what organizers describe as escalating federal attacks on academic institutions.Most recently, the administration froze over $1 billion in federal funding for Cornell University and $790 million for Northwestern University, citing “ongoing, credible, and concerning Title VI investigations,” according to a White House official.Northwestern stated it has “fully cooperated” with investigations and warned that critical research, including work on Alzheimer’s disease and a miniature pacemaker, could be jeopardized.The school also announced its participation in a lawsuit against the Energy Department on unrelated proposed cuts to indirect research costs.Cornell and Northwestern are among 60 universities warned last month by the Trump administration over anti-Semitism and racial discrimination investigations.(Footage by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)