A federal appeals court dismissed a lawsuit brought by the AAUP and AFT challenging the Trump administration’s suspension of roughly $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University. The three-judge panel ruled the case was moot after Columbia struck a formal agreement to restore the majority of the suspended funding. Columbia agreed to pay the government $221 million and to provide extensive admissions data, alongside additional compliance demands including reviewing academic programs focused on regional areas, starting with the Middle East. AAUP and AFT initially sued in March 2025, alleging an “unlawful and unprecedented effort” to override academic autonomy. The unions had appealed after a June decision dismissed the case for lack of standing. In March, the unions and the Trump administration filed a joint motion to dismiss, aligning the legal posture with the changed funding status rather than the merits of the academic freedom dispute.