Harvard Sues Trump Administration Over $2.2 Billion Funding Freeze; Cites Threat to Academic Freedom | (Photo Courtesy: X/ANI)
Massachusetts: Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against US President Donald Trump’s administration. The move intensifies a growing standoff over allegations of anti-Semitism on campuses and government intervention in academic affairs.
The University’s Claims
The Ivy League institution filed the lawsuit in a Massachusetts federal court on Monday, April 21, challenging what it described as an “arbitrary and capricious” move by the Trump administration to withhold over USD 2.2 billion in federal grants.
The suit claims that the funding freeze is retaliation for Harvard’s refusal to comply with a list of sweeping demands from the federal government.
“This case involves the Government’s efforts to use the withholding of federal funding as leverage to gain control of academic decision making at Harvard,” the university said in its filing, which also names other universities reportedly targeted by the Trump administration.
Trump and his allies have accused leading universities of fostering anti-Semitism in the wake of nationwide protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. In response, the administration threatened to revoke universities’ tax-exempt status, cut funding, and restrict international student admissions.
Crackdown on Campus Activism and Diversity
According to reports, Trump’s administration sent a letter to Harvard on April 11 demanding sweeping changes, including a leadership overhaul, new admissions policies, a review of diversity initiatives, and a ban on certain student groups. Harvard President Alan Garber rejected these demands, prompting an immediate freeze of billions in federal funding.
“The Government’s actions flout not just the First Amendment, but also federal laws and regulations,” the complaint stated.
While some universities, like Columbia, have reportedly made partial concessions, Harvard has taken a firm stance. According to protest organisers, the university had already taken disciplinary action against students involved in anti-war demonstrations, placing 23 on probation and denying degrees to 12.
