Harvard sues Trump over funding cuts

Harvard University filed a federal lawsuit Monday against President Donald Trump’s administration, escalating a legal and political clash between one of the nation’s top academic institutions and the White House over claims of campus anti-Semitism and government overreach.

The lawsuit, filed in a U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, alleges the administration is unlawfully using federal funding as leverage to exert political control over academic decisions at the Ivy League university.

"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 Ivy League university said in a lawsuit filed in a Massachusetts federal court that named several other institutions targeted by Trump.

The complaint argues that the government’s actions violate constitutional protections and federal law. "The Government's actions flout not just the First Amendment, but also federal laws and regulations," the lawsuit says, calling the administration’s behavior "arbitrary and capricious."

Last week, Trump ordered a freeze on $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard after the university refused outside supervision of its admissions, faculty hiring, and what the White House described as its "political bias." The university is seeking to have the funding freeze and attached conditions declared unlawful, and to recoup legal costs.

The White House has defended its campaign against elite universities, citing widespread anti-Israel protests during the Gaza war as evidence of unchecked anti-Semitism on campuses. Many institutions, including Harvard, disciplined students involved in the demonstrations. According to protest organizers, Harvard placed 23 students on probation and denied degrees to 12 others.

Harvard President Alan Garber said the administration had launched "numerous investigations" into the school’s operations and that the university would not yield on core principles. Last week, Garber said Harvard would not "negotiate over (its) independence or its constitutional rights."

The lawsuit directly challenges the administration’s use of federal power, particularly the role of the Department of Homeland Security, which has reportedly threatened Harvard’s ability to host international students unless it hands over information on student visa holders accused of “illegal and violent activities.” International students make up over 27% of Harvard’s enrollment, according to its website.

"Make no mistake: Harvard rejects anti-Semitism and discrimination in all of its forms and is actively making structural reforms to eradicate anti-Semitism on campus," the lawsuit said. "But rather than engage with Harvard regarding those ongoing efforts, the Government announced a sweeping freeze of funding for medical, scientific, technological, and other research that has nothing at all to do with anti-Semitism."

Trump has used his Truth Social platform to criticize the university in stark terms. "Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World's Great Universities or Colleges," he wrote. "Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds."

While some institutions, such as Columbia University, have reportedly agreed to limited oversight, Harvard’s lawsuit marks a rare full-scale legal challenge to what it describes as an unconstitutional attempt by the executive branch to dictate academic governance.

The dispute underscores deeper political tensions over the role of higher education in American society, particularly regarding diversity programs and the political makeup of faculty and students.