A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction barring the Trump administration from freezing University of California research funding, saying the government cannot use civil-rights probes to condition or cut grants. U.S. District Judge Rita Lin described a pattern of investigations and funding threats and blocked the administration from suspending UC grant money or imposing speech-related conditions. The ruling — brought by faculty groups and unions including the AAUP — protects ongoing federal research awards while the lawsuit proceeds, preserving payroll and project continuity at one of the nation’s largest public research systems. Legal teams for UC and the Department of Justice continue litigation; higher-education leaders and sponsored researchers will be watching closely for effects on other campuses targeted by similar investigations.