Harvard Rejects Trump Administration’s Demands, Faces $2.3 Billion Federal Funding Freeze
Harvard University has pushed back against a series of demands from the Trump administration, asserting that the proposed conditions would compromise its autonomy and core academic principles. The university’s stance prompted the federal government to announce a freeze on $2.3 billion in funding.
The Biden administration’s successor had previously indicated it was scrutinizing approximately $9 billion in grants and contracts awarded to Harvard. This initiative was part of a broader response to rising concerns over anti-Semitism allegedly linked to pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses over the last 18 months.
On Monday, a Department of Education task force accused Harvard of harboring a sense of “entitlement” and criticized the university for what it described as a failure to uphold civil rights obligations tied to federal funding.
The funding freeze underscores growing tensions between the Trump administration and elite universities, raising fresh concerns over academic freedom and freedom of speech. The administration has already suspended hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support for other institutions and is demanding policy shifts aimed at curbing campus activism perceived as biased or discriminatory.
According to reports, some international students involved in pro-Palestinian protests are now facing deportation, while visas for many others have been canceled.
In a public letter, Harvard President Alan Garber stated that the demands would grant the federal government undue influence over the university’s internal affairs. “No government should be allowed to dictate the curriculum, admissions, or hiring decisions of a private academic institution,” Garber said.
He warned that fulfilling the administration’s conditions would amount to a breach of the university’s constitutional rights and its role as a center of independent thought and research.
Anti-Semitism on college campuses became a central political issue following protests against Israeli military actions in Gaza, especially after the 2023 Hamas attacks and the resulting conflict escalation.
White House spokesperson Harrison Fields defended the funding freeze, stating that the administration is committed to eradicating anti-Semitism and halting federal support for institutions that allegedly foster “racial discrimination or violence.”
The Department of Education has also instructed Harvard to curtail the influence of politically active faculty and students, and to ensure a balanced range of viewpoints through external departmental audits. The university has been told to base all admissions and hiring strictly on merit, ending any consideration of race, color, or nationality. Additionally, Harvard must monitor foreign students for conduct violations and report any concerns to immigration authorities.
In response to these moves, a group of Harvard professors has filed a lawsuit to stop the government’s review of the school’s federal funding. Similar legal actions are also underway at Columbia University, which is currently facing a $400 million funding suspension.
Garber emphasized that while Harvard is actively addressing anti-Semitism on campus, it will not allow federal mandates to override its academic independence. “Harvard will not give up its constitutional rights or its educational mission,” he stated.
To manage the financial impact of the funding freeze, the university is seeking to secure $750 million in loans from Wall Street.
