Harvard Sues Trump Administration Over $2.2B Funding Freeze
Harvard takes legal action as Trump threatens to cut federal funds, revoke student visa privileges, and demand full access to internal reports on campus bias.
Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after the federal government froze over $2.2 billion in funding and demanded sweeping oversight of the institution. The move comes amid growing tension between the Ivy League school and the White House, which is targeting elite universities over how they handle campus bias and protests.
فيديو ذات صلة
This browser does not support the video element.
The administration is also threatening to strip Harvard of its ability to host international students, revoke its tax-exempt status, and block even more federal contracts, including nearly $1 billion in health research funding.
Government demands access to internal reports
The Trump administration wants full access to all Harvard reports about antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias since October 2023—even early drafts and documents that were never made public. It also requested the names of people involved and said they should be available for federal interviews.
Harvard is refusing to comply, calling the demands unconstitutional and saying they go far beyond what the government is allowed to do. The university argues that none of the frozen research has anything to do with antisemitism or discrimination, and the funding cuts are being used to force Harvard to give up its independence.
White House calls out Harvard over diversity policies
Trump officials argue that Harvard has failed to meet the standards required for federal support. The administration wants the school to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, enforce stricter protest rules, and switch to merit-based admissions and hiring practices.
“The gravy train of federal assistance is ending,” the White House said in a statement, accusing Harvard of wasting taxpayer money and promoting activism over academics.
Harvard says fight is about political control, not antisemitism
University President Alan Garber, who is Jewish, said Harvard has already been taking steps to address antisemitism on campus, including setting up task forces and policy changes. But he says the government is using the issue as an excuse to interfere with academic freedom.
“This is not about fighting antisemitism—it’s about political control,” the university said in its lawsuit. “The government wants to dictate how we teach, hire, and conduct research. That’s unconstitutional.”
Support and backlash across the board
The legal battle is stirring reactions from across the academic and political spectrum. Jewish student groups at Harvard say the administration’s actions are making them feel more like political pawns than protected students. Over 100 Jewish students signed an open letter opposing the funding cuts, despite their concern about antisemitism.
Former Harvard president Larry Summers, a longtime critic of the university’s leadership, has also backed the school’s stance, saying the government’s overreach is dangerous. “An enemies list didn’t work for Nixon, and it won’t work now,” Summers said.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey called the federal threats “outrageous,” accusing Trump of using the same playbook to silence critics—first lawyers, then companies, and now universities.
Harvard not alone as pressure spreads to other schools
Harvard isn’t the only one under fire. Other major universities like Columbia, Princeton, and Cornell have also faced funding threats from the Trump administration over similar issues.
Columbia has already changed its campus protest rules and reviewed its Middle East curriculum after $400 million in funding was frozen.
Harvard, however, says it won’t give in. “The university will not surrender its independence or its constitutional rights,” Garber wrote in a campus-wide message.
This article was previously published on omanmoments. To see the original article, click here