- Harvard sues Trump administration over frozen $2.2 billion federal funding tied to campus anti-Semitism allegations
- The lawsuit accuses the government of trying to control academic decision-making and violating constitutional rights
- Meanwhile, international students are at risk, as Homeland Security threatens to restrict visas without access to student records
Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between the prestigious Ivy League institution and the Republican leader.
The university is challenging what it calls an unlawful attempt by the federal government to exert political control over academic freedom by threatening to withhold billions in federal funding.
The lawsuit, filed in a Massachusetts federal court on Monday, accuses Trump’s administration of using the $2.2 billion federal funding freeze as a coercive tool to influence internal policies at Harvard.
The complaint also names other institutions that have come under fire for allegedly allowing anti-semitic behaviour on campus.
“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 Government’s actions flout not just the First Amendment, but also federal laws and regulations,” the filing added, describing the actions as “arbitrary and capricious,” the university stated.
Trump has repeatedly criticised Harvard and other elite universities, accusing them of tolerating anti-Semitism, especially during recent student protests over Israel’s war in Gaza.
He has also slammed their diversity initiatives, claiming they marginalise conservative voices and favour minorities.
While many universities took disciplinary action against students during the Gaza protests, including Harvard, which reportedly placed 23 students on probation and denied degrees to 12, Trump continued his verbal attacks.
Last week, he posted on his social media platform Truth Social: “Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds.”
Trump’s administration launched multiple investigations into Harvard’s admissions, hiring, and campus politics.
The Department of Homeland Security has even threatened to limit the university’s ability to enroll international students unless it shares records on visa holders allegedly involved in “illegal and violent activities.”
International students currently account for over 27% of Harvard’s student body.
Harvard President Alan Garber rejected the federal pressure, saying, “We will not negotiate over our independence or our constitutional rights.”
Garber noted that the university is already implementing structural reforms to combat anti-Semitism and discrimination.
“Make no mistake: Harvard rejects anti-Semitism and discrimination in all of its forms,” the lawsuit reads.
“But instead of engaging with Harvard on these efforts, the Government has chosen to freeze critical funding for research in medicine, science, and technology, areas unrelated to the concerns raised.”
While some institutions, such as Columbia University, have yielded to the administration’s demands to varying degrees, Harvard is taking a firm stand against what it sees as an overreach of federal power.
Trump to sign executive order aimed at dismantling Department of Education
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that President Donald Trump was set to sign an executive order on Thursday, March 20, that lays the groundwork for dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, fulfilling a long-standing Republican goal and a key campaign promise.
The order mandated that the remaining federal education funds must not support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives or gender ideology.