Harvard Sues Trump Administration Over $2.2 Billion Grant Freeze Amid Campus Crackdown

BOSTON – Harvard University is taking the Trump administration to court after the federal government froze more than $2.2 billion in research funding, a move that Harvard says is political retaliation for refusing to comply with controversial campus reform demands.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Boston, comes after the Trump administration accused Harvard of fostering an environment of unchecked antisemitism following student-led protests over the Israel-Gaza conflict. In response, the administration issued an April 11 ultimatum, pushing for sweeping changes—from admissions policy revisions to stricter protest discipline and a re-evaluation of diversity efforts.

Harvard President Alan Garber refused to comply, citing constitutional protections and academic freedom. Hours later, the administration froze billions in federal research grants, affecting projects that span medical, technological, and scientific innovation.

“There’s no rational link between these antisemitism accusations and the life-saving research they’re targeting,” Harvard argued in its lawsuit. “This is arbitrary, capricious, and a threat to America’s innovation pipeline.”

The Trump administration’s hardline stance aims to shake up what it sees as liberal-dominated academia. Harvard, a longtime symbol of elite education, has now become the test case for federal efforts to force universities to toe a new ideological line—or lose funding.

The White House fired back quickly.

“The gravy train of taxpayer-funded handouts to elite institutions like Harvard is over,” said White House spokesman Harrison Fields. “Federal support is a privilege, not an entitlement.”

The administration also called on Harvard to audit its community for ideological diversity, crack down on protests, stop recognizing certain student groups, and vet international students for alignment with “American values.”

Harvard’s leadership and supporters argue that the administration’s demands violate the First Amendment and overstep the government’s authority. In a message to the university community, Garber said the lawsuit is about more than one school—it’s about protecting the independence of American higher education.

“We stand for the truth that universities can fulfill their roles in society without improper government intrusion,” Garber wrote.

The university’s legal push is also backed by major academic organizations. The American Council on Education, which represents over 1,600 colleges and universities, applauded the lawsuit, calling the freeze “a clear violation of due process and rule of law.”

This case adds to mounting tensions between the Trump administration and academic institutions, particularly those that resist its policies on immigration, free speech, and cultural debates. The administration has increasingly used federal funding—especially research grants—as leverage.

The American Association of University Professors has also filed its own suit, seeking to block the government’s review of Harvard’s funding. Harvard alumna Anurima Bhargava praised the university’s stance, calling it a “refusal to give in to escalating, dangerous demands.”