Harvard Takes Legal Action Against Federal Funding Freeze
Harvard University Files Lawsuit Against Donald Trump's Administration
In a bold move, Harvard University has taken a Federal Court in Massachusetts by storm, filing a lawsuit against various U.S. government agencies and high-ranking officials. At the heart of the lawsuit is a $2.2 billion federal funding freeze, with an additional threat to halt grants worth $1.1 billion, stricter rules for international students, and potential revocation of its non-profit status.
According to the lawsuit, the administration has illegally frozen the university's funding due to its refusal to comply with "unconstitutional demands" to review its management and diversity programs, as reported by Bloomberg. Harvard University President Alan Garber asserted in a statement that the freezing of funds is "illegal and beyond the government's authority."
Donald Trump, former President, had proposed to withhold funding from Harvard due to the admission of "radical leftists" and criticism of the university's response to anti-Semitism. Protests supporting Palestine took place at the university due to the conflict in Gaza. Harvard's president, who identifies as Jewish, acknowledged concerns about anti-Semitism but emphasized the need to address the issue differently.
The Trump administration has also suspended financial support for Cornell, Columbia, and Northwestern universities. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll on Donald Trump's approval rating, 42% supported the U.S. president, while 57% disapproved of his decision to halt university funding, including a third of his own party supporters.
The lawsuit frames the dispute as a defense of institutional autonomy, with President Alan Garber stating the administration’s actions threaten scientific research and international student access. A separate lawsuit by the American Association of University Professors parallels Harvard’s legal challenge. The complaint seeks to restore frozen funds and block further withholding, emphasizing the stakes for higher education nationwide.
In the lawsuit, the university argues that the demands infringe on academic freedom and violate the First Amendment and Title VI by seeking to impose "unprecedented government control" over institutional decision-making. The lawsuit also asserts that the funding freeze bypassed legally required processes, calling it "arbitrary and capricious" federal overreach.
The White House spokesman accused Harvard of failing to meet "basic conditions" for federal funding, while former President Trump amplified criticism on social media, questioning Harvard’s tax-exempt status over alleged ideological biases.
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Tags:* #Donald Trump* #Courts* #Education*
- The lawsuit filed by Harvard University against various U.S. government agencies alleges that the funding freeze, including a potential revocation of its non-profit status, is illegal and beyond the government's authority, as reported in general-news outlets.
- In addition to the funding freeze, the Trump administration had also suspended financial support for Cornell, Columbia, and Northwestern universities, sparking controversy in crime-and-justice circles.
- The lawsuit by Harvard University and the American Association of University Professors argues that the demands from the administration infringe on academic freedom and violate the First Amendment, framing the dispute as a defense of institutional autonomy.
- Despite the Trump administration's criticism of Harvard University's alleged ideological biases and failure to meet basic conditions for federal funding, a significant portion of the public, including many within his own party, disapproved of the decision to halt university funding, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll on Donald Trump's approval rating.
