Northwestern University struck a deal with the Trump administration to restore nearly $800 million in frozen federal research funding, and the settlement imposes new controls on campus speech and international-student screening. The university agreed to train international students in “free inquiry and open debate,” tighten demonstration policies, share detailed admissions data and, at the government's request, provide disciplinary records for foreign students. The agreement requires Northwestern to pay $75 million and to document compliance to the Education Department and Department of Justice. That federal intervention follows the Administration’s broader scrutiny of campus protests and academic environments; the settlement joins other signals that national regulators will press universities on campus climate, admissions transparency and perceived national-security risks tied to foreign students. Higher‑education legal advisers say detailed reporting requirements and targeted training for only one student demographic risk chilling speech and complicating international recruitment and compliance workflows. Separately, a university investigation concluded that a faculty member’s provocative online post—presented as satire—constituted “disruption,” drawing criticism from free‑speech advocates. Experts warn that administrative sanctions that respond to activist pressure can create incentives for online harassment and legal fights over academic freedom, making institutional responses to speech a growing governance and risk-management issue for research universities.