Indiana Governor Mike Braun’s latest budget proposal has sparked controversy by cutting all funding to Martin University.

Martin University, Indiana’s only predominantly Black university, received $5 million in state funding last year but has been excluded from Braun’s “Freedom and Opportunity” budget for 2024.

Advocates quickly condemned the move, with some labeling it as racist.

“The active intervention to end or attack anything in the budget that gives state dollars to people of color is sickening. I won’t mince my words: It’s racist. Black Hoosiers and other minorities pay taxes, so we deserve to benefit from the state budget as much as our white counterparts,” said State Rep. Gregory W. Porter in a statement. “This is wrong on so many levels. The last administration realized that this funding would give students of color an equal chance at success.”

The decision to defund the predominantly Black institution comes amid a wave of controversial cuts and changes from Governor Braun, who recently took office. Among them is an executive order eliminating DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs statewide. Critics argue that the budget decision should be viewed in the broader context of Braun’s actions, which they say disproportionately affect minority communities.