Harvard sues Trump administration over frozen federal funds
Harvard University, one of the world's top institutions, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, demanding the release of frozen federal funds. The university claims that the government's actions infringe on its independence and freedom of speech.
Harvard University has initiated legal action against President Donald Trump's administration, accusing it of freezing federal funds. In a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Boston, the administration is accused of attempting to influence Harvard's academic decisions by withholding funds.
Harvard claims this action is part of a wider campaign against leading U.S. universities, which are accused of tolerating anti-Semitism and failing to adequately address pro-Palestinian protests. The university's provost, Alan Garber, emphasized that the institution will continue to combat hate and adhere to anti-discrimination regulations.
Freezing of funds and demands from the Trump administration
In March, the Trump administration began reviewing Harvard's funding, which amounts to approximately $9 billion (12 billion CAD). As a result of this review, about $2.3 billion (3,1 billion CAD) was frozen, with the threat of revoking the university's tax-exempt status.
The blocking of funds is a reaction to the university's refusal to change its diversity policies, including increasing the number of conservative students and faculty. The administration also demanded detailed information on the university's international connections and imposed a ban on mask-wearing.
The freezing of funds has led to the suspension of many research projects at Harvard. The university, which annually receives approximately $9 billion (12 billion CAD) in grants and federal contracts, is the largest recipient of research funding in the U.S. According to "U.S. News & World Report," Harvard's endowment is approximately $50.7 billion (70 billion CAD), making it the wealthiest university in America.
Harvard is not the only institution experiencing fund freezes. Similar actions have been taken against other prestigious universities, such as Columbia, Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern, and Brown. All of these institutions have seen protests that the Trump administration found problematic.
"Since his January inauguration, Trump has cracked down on top U.S. universities, saying they mishandled last year's pro-Palestinian protests and allowed antisemitism to intensify on campus. Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say their criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza is wrongly conflated with antisemitism," reports Reuters.
