Harvard University sues Trump admin $2.2bln federal fund cut

Harvard University, one of the United States’ most prestigious academic institutions, has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Trump administration in an effort to block proposed cuts to billions of dollars in federal funding.

This legal action follows a growing dispute that escalated last week, when Harvard rejected directives issued by the Trump administration aimed at curbing diversity policies and addressing alleged antisemitism on campus.

In response, the administration froze $2.2 billion in federal funding earmarked for the university and also threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status.

Harvard President Alan M. Garber, in a letter released on Monday, warned that “the consequences of governmental overreach will be severe and long-lasting.”

White House spokesperson Harrison Fields later stated, “The days of Harvard receiving unchecked federal support are over. Institutions like Harvard grant extraordinary perks to administrators using public funds — money that comes from hardworking American taxpayers. Federal funding is a privilege, not a right, and Harvard is no longer meeting the basic conditions of that privilege.”

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The university argues that the suspension of funding is already affecting critical research on diseases such as childhood cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.

In its lawsuit, Harvard contends, “This case concerns the government’s attempt to use funding as leverage to interfere with the academic independence of Harvard University.”

The Trump administration has also recently questioned Harvard’s international student recruitment practices.

Harvard is not alone in facing federal scrutiny. Other Ivy League institutions have also come under pressure. Funding of $1 billion to Cornell University and $510 million to Brown University has been suspended, while Columbia University — which became a focal point of pro-Palestine protests last year — complied with some federal demands following a $400 million funding freeze.

Among the demands made to Harvard was to allow a government-approved independent audit of its curriculum, recruitment policies, and admissions data. In response, Harvard firmly rejected the request, with university attorneys stating on April 14: “Harvard will neither surrender its autonomy nor relinquish its constitutional rights.”