GW Weekly Federal Update (August 14)

Department of Justice Letter

On August 12, GW received a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice informing the university that it has reached a conclusion regarding its stated investigation of allegations of antisemitism on the university's campus. The findings primarily focus on the Spring 2024 encampment on University Yard. The university was not asked to participate in any investigation, answer any specific questions, or provide any information. The university is currently determining next steps and is committed to as much transparency as possible with the GW community as we move forward. 

As we have stated before, GW condemns antisemitism, which has absolutely no place on our campuses or in our civil society. Our actions clearly demonstrate our commitment to addressing antisemitic actions and promoting an inclusive campus environment by upholding a safe, respectful, and accountable environment. We have taken appropriate action under university policy and the law to hold individuals or organizations accountable, including during the encampment, and we do not tolerate behavior that threatens our community or undermines meaningful dialogue. We are committed to our ongoing work with members of GW’s Jewish community, as well as Jewish community organizations, city and federal authorities, including law enforcement, to protect the GW community from antisemitism. 

GW Update

• On August 11, President Trump, declaring a crime emergency in the District of Columbia, signed an Executive Order to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploy the National Guard in D.C. According to the White House, the National Guard began deployments Tuesday night. At this time, GW does not anticipate an impact to university operations. GW continues to be in contact with local and federal authorities and will provide any relevant information to the campus community. As always, the university will comply with all local, state and federal laws. Members of the university community with safety and security concerns should continue to contact GWPD.

Recent Federal Actions

• The latest on federal actions related to UCLA: In the August 7 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported on the findings issued by the Trump Administration that UCLA had acted with deliberate indifference toward Jewish and Israeli students, and subsequently suspended hundreds of millions of dollars in grant funding while UCLA determined whether it would enter into settlement discussions with the Administration. On August 6, UCLA announced that it had agreed to “engage in dialogue” with the Administration. The Administration’s initial settlement proposal to UCLA included a demand that UCLA pay $1 billion to the government and an additional $172 million to a claims fund that would compensate victims of civil rights violations. In response, UCLA stated that “a payment of this scale would completely devastate our country’s greatest public university system.” Governor Gavin Newsom has publicly opposed the proposal and stated he would work to prevent it from moving forward. On August 12, the U.S. District Court in California ordered the National Science Foundation to restore approximately $81 million in suspended federal funding. 
   
• The latest on federal actions related to Harvard University: We previously reported on the Administration’s revocation of Harvard’s ability to host international students, which resulted in Harvard’s legal challenge in May 2025, and the court granting Harvard’s request for a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the Administration’s actions. On August 6, the Administration informed the Court that it will not revoke Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification or Exchange Visitor Program Designation. On August 7, the Administration moved to dismiss Harvard’s lawsuit, arguing among other things that its August 6 action made the lawsuit moot.
  
  In the meantime, on August 8, Commerce Secretary Howard W. Lutnick sent a letter to Harvard president Alan M. Garber stating that the Department is launching an investigation into Harvard’s compliance with obligations surrounding hundreds of millions of dollars of federally funded patents. In response, Harvard accused the Administration of engaging in a “retaliatory effort” to punish the university for defending its academic freedom. Notwithstanding these latest actions, according to media reports, Harvard and the Administration have made “significant progress” on a settlement that would include Harvard spending $500 million on vocational and educational programs and research.
   
• On August 7, President Trump issued an Executive Action called “Ensuring Transparency in Higher Education Admissions” directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “revamp the online presentation of IPEDS data, such that it is easily accessible and intelligibly presented for parents and students,” and to expand the scope of required reporting by colleges and universities, in order to “provide adequate transparency into admissions.” The Department of Education later wrote that institutions will be required to report data on the race, gender, test scores and grade point averages of college applicants. According to media reports, the Administration will issue on August 15 a proposal in the Federal Register that provides further details on the data reporting requirements. According to the draft proposal, the reporting obligations will apply to those institutions that use “selective college admissions,” which will be required to report data going back five years.
   
• The American Council on Education (ACE) and other higher education associations are continuing to oppose the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) decision earlier this year to cancel roughly 1,200 active research grants, valued in the billions, following President Trump’s inauguration. In June, the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts ruled the cancellations void and unlawful in two related cases brought by state attorneys general and other plaintiffs, ordering the reinstatement of those grants. The Administration’s request to pause the order has been denied twice, first by the District Court and then by the First Circuit Court of Appeals, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court. On August 1, ACE joined seven other associations in filing an amicus brief urging the Court to reject the stay request. Separately, on July 29, ACE and four other associations sent a letter to NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya urging the agency to reinstate all canceled grants, beyond those covered by Judge Young’s orders.
   
• The Department of Homeland Security is expected to soon issue two proposed rules affecting international students and skilled worker visas, both of which have completed review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
  • The first, “Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media,” would end “duration of status” for F-1 student visas and J-1 exchange visitors, replacing it with fixed admission periods of two or four years based on certain criteria.
  • The second, “Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking to File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions,” would change the H-1B visa lottery to prioritize applicants at higher wage levels, potentially limiting opportunities for early-career professionals and recent U.S. graduates.
     
• On August 7, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking,” aimed at changing how federal agencies review and award discretionary grants. The order directs agency heads to appoint senior officials to review funding opportunities to ensure alignment with administration priorities and to prohibit support for activities such as “racial preferences,” denial of the “sex binary,” “illegal immigration,” or initiatives deemed contrary to public safety or “American values.” It instructs agencies to give preference to institutions with lower indirect cost rates, prioritize “rigorous, reproducible scholarship” over institutional prestige, and broaden awards to recipients producing immediate or breakthrough results. The order also authorizes the termination of existing or future awards “for convenience,” limits the use of funds for facilities and administrative costs, and requires additional approvals before grantees can draw down funds. In response to the executive order, Association of American Universities (AAU) president Barbara R. Snyder said, “The administration’s executive order will apparently replace the merit-based system of science-based decision-making for research grant funding in favor of decision making by political appointees.” Federal agencies must review their grant terms and submit reports to the Office of Management and Budget within 30 days.
   

Resources and Reminders

About this Newsletter

To ensure that students, faculty and staff feel supported and informed about how federal developments affect higher education and GW, the university launched a weekly Federal Update. This newsletter shares timely information, addresses questions and provides resources.