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Stanford University lays off 363 amid federal funding cuts over pro-Palestine activism

Wednesday, 06 August 2025 7:27 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 06 August 2025 7:27 PM ]

Protestors at Stanford University paint, “Death to Isra-hell [Israel]” on the university walls, June 4, 2025. (Photo via social media)

Stanford University has laid off 360 employees following US President Donald Trump’s decision to cut federal funding for academic institutions that permit pro-Palestine activism.

A spokesperson for Stanford University stated on Tuesday, “Stanford is in the process of making budget reductions. Last week, many schools and units made workforce reductions, resulting in a total of 363 layoffs."

In June, the university announced a $140 million reduction in its general funds budget for the upcoming year, attributing this to "a challenging fiscal environment shaped largely by federal policy changes affecting higher education."

Since taking office on January 20, 2025, Trump has threatened to cut federal funding to various American universities over pro-Palestine protests.

In addition to slashing millions in funding, the Trump administration has also proposed increasing taxes on universities and academic institutions.

Many American universities, including those in the Ivy League, have felt compelled to comply with Trump’s demands to avoid investigations into their endowments. These institutions have been pressured to suspend or fire pro-Palestine faculty members and students..

The layoffs come amid growing concerns from rights advocates about academic freedom and free speech, following the Trump administration’s move to cut federal funding for institutions that permit pro-Palestine activism.

Protests organized by various groups, including Jewish organizations, argue that the government wrongly equates criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza with "antisemitism", and views advocacy for Palestinian rights as support for "extremism".

The Trump administration recently froze over $330 million in funding for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), claiming the university had failed to "create a safe environment for Jewish and Israeli students" amid the ongoing was in Gaza. UCLA, like other universities, has begun negotiations with the administration to reverse this decision.

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Since the onset of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, protests, including campaigns, demonstrations, rallies, and vigils, have taken place across the US.

Pro-Palestine activists have condemned Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip and criticized America's diplomatic and military support for the regime.

These protests, often referred to as the “students’ intifada,” have called for amnesty for protesters, the ending of partnerships with Israeli institutions, severing financial ties with the regime, divest from companies deemed complicit in the war, and increased transparency regarding financial connections to third parties, especially those connected to Israel's occupation of Palestine.

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