Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of unlawfully freezing $2 billion in federal research grants—a move the school says will severely impact critical medical research.
In a letter to the Harvard community on Monday, university president Alan M. Garber said the funding freeze threatens studies on pediatric cancer, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson’s disease. "The consequences of the government’s overreach will be severe and long-lasting," he warned.
The lawsuit follows Harvard’s recent rejection of a list of demands from the Trump administration, which claimed the measures were intended to fight anti-Semitism and curb what it described as divisive diversity policies. In response to the legal action, the White House fired back, declaring that the "gravy train of federal assistance" was over.
Harvard, the world’s wealthiest university, argues in its complaint that the funding freeze violates its constitutional rights and is part of a broader attempt to exert political control over academic institutions. “This is not about compliance or accountability—it is about coercion,” the lawsuit states.
The university receives around $9 billion annually, most of which supports scientific and medical research. The administration has indicated another $1 billion could soon be cut, while also hinting at further pressure on Harvard’s tax-exempt status and its ability to host international students.
Garber, who is Jewish, acknowledged incidents of anti-Semitism on campus and noted that the university has launched two task forces to address both anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim bias. Their findings will be made public, he said.
The crackdown on Harvard is part of a broader federal campaign targeting elite universities. Other Ivy League schools have also been hit: Cornell had $1 billion suspended, Brown lost $510 million, and Columbia faced the threat of losing $400 million before agreeing to some government demands. The demands include external audits of curricula, hiring, and admissions practices.
Harvard, however, pushed back forcefully, calling the administration’s approach a “takeover” of higher education.
Former President Barack Obama, a Harvard alumnus, voiced support for the university, calling the funding freeze unlawful. The Trump administration, unfazed, reiterated its stance Monday night:
“Taxpayer funds are a privilege, not a right. Harvard fails to meet the basic conditions required to access that privilege. American families should not be subsidizing bloated university bureaucracies pushing political agendas."
A recent Gallup poll showed declining public confidence in higher education across political lines, with a particularly steep drop among Republicans, many of whom believe universities promote ideological bias.
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