Harvard sues Trump administration

Harvard University has taken legal action against the Trump administration following the suspension of billions in federal research grants, arguing that the move is unconstitutional and politically motivated.

In a letter to the Harvard community on Monday, university president Alan M. Garber announced the lawsuit, stating that the USD 2 billion funding halt would deeply impact scientific progress in fields such as pediatric cancer, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's research.

“The consequences of the government’s overreach will be severe and long-lasting,” Garber wrote. “In recent weeks, the federal government has launched a broad attack on the critical funding partnerships that make this invaluable research possible.”

The lawsuit accuses the federal government of leveraging its financial support to interfere with Harvard’s academic independence. It claims the funding freeze violates constitutional protections and seeks to exert political control over the university’s curriculum and decision-making processes.

The White House, in a sharp response Monday evening, defended the move. “The gravy train of federal assistance to institutions like Harvard, which enrich their grossly overpaid bureaucrats with tax dollars from struggling American families, is coming to an end,” the statement said. “Taxpayer funds are a privilege, and Harvard fails to meet the basic conditions required to access that privilege.”

The dispute follows Harvard’s rejection of a list of federal demands aimed at curbing diversity initiatives and addressing campus anti-Semitism. Those demands reportedly included the implementation of government-sanctioned audits of admissions practices, hiring policies, and academic content.

President Donald Trump has accused elite universities of fostering hostile environments for Jewish students, especially in the wake of last year’s campus protests against the war in Gaza and US support for the Israeli Occupation. A new federal task force on anti-Semitism has already placed at least 60 universities under review.

Garber, who is Jewish, acknowledged concerns about anti-Semitism at Harvard’s Massachusetts campus, noting that two internal task forces had been formed to investigate both anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim bias. Their findings, he said, would be publicly released.

Harvard, the wealthiest university in the world, receives approximately USD 9 billion annually, much of which supports cutting-edge research. The federal freeze could increase by an additional USD 1 billion, and the university's tax-exempt status and international enrollment policies may also be at risk.

The crackdown extends beyond Harvard. Other elite institutions, including Cornell University and Brown University, have seen funding suspensions totaling over USD 1.5 billion combined. Columbia University, which became a flashpoint for pro-Palestinian demonstrations last year, reportedly complied with some federal demands after facing the potential loss of USD 400 million in grants.

In its legal filing, Harvard describes the federal action as a "takeover" effort masked as financial oversight. Former President Barack Obama, a Harvard Law School graduate, has voiced his support for the university, calling the funding freeze “unlawful.”