Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, has expressed support for requiring the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to pay a substantial settlement over alleged illegal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) discrimination and related campus policies. The statement was made on X.
“As a former UCLA dad, thrilled to see this update,” said Cortes. “Make toxic, lavishly-funded universities pay for their illegal DEI discrimination. The reckoning!…”
The Trump administration has initiated a vigorous campaign targeting universities regarding DEI practices and alleged antisemitism. According to Politico, federal funding is being used as leverage to demand changes from institutions such as Columbia University, UCLA, and George Washington University. These universities have faced investigations and enforcement actions under civil rights laws, with the Justice Department advocating for settlements in exchange for restored research funding. This represents a broader federal effort to reshape higher education policy.
Several major universities have reached settlements with the federal government over civil rights or DEI-related disputes. As reported by the Associated Press, Columbia University agreed to pay $220 million, Brown University settled for $50 million, and UCLA previously paid $6 million while negotiating a separate $1 billion settlement. These cases are part of an effort to link compliance with civil rights standards to continued federal funding.
UCLA is currently facing a $1 billion settlement demand and a $584 million funding freeze linked to alleged civil rights violations. Reuters reports that a federal judge recently ordered over one-third of that funding restored due to procedural concerns. Meanwhile, AP News indicates that Harvard may settle for $500 million to reverse a $2.6 billion freeze, demonstrating the administration’s willingness to use financial pressure in civil rights enforcement.
Cortes is also the President of the League of American Workers and serves as a senior political advisor to CatholicVote. He is a former senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance and has been a commentator for Fox News and CNN. Cortes regularly releases documentaries and columns at cortesinvestigates.com.
The League of American Workers was founded in 2022 by Cortes with the aim of promoting conservative, pro-worker policy reforms. According to its official website, the organization seeks to reverse decades of wage stagnation and economic marginalization of blue-collar Americans through fact-based advocacy and nationalist economic messaging. It emphasizes restoring worker influence and opposing globalist economic policies.
