Trump administration freezes over $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard—here’s why

The federal government announced it is freezing more than 2.2 billion dollars in grants and 60 million dollars in contracts to Harvard University. The decision comes after Harvard publicly declared it would not comply with the Trump administration’s latest demands aimed at curbing activism on campus.

In a letter sent to Harvard on Friday, the administration laid out sweeping conditions, calling for governance reforms, “merit-based” admissions and hiring policies, and an audit of the university’s leadership, faculty, and student body—specifically on their views on diversity. Among the controversial demands was a ban on face masks, which appeared to target pro-Palestinian protesters.

Harvard pushes back on first amendment grounds

In a strongly worded response on Monday, Harvard President Alan Garber rejected the federal conditions, calling them unconstitutional and an overreach of government authority under Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin.

“No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Garber wrote. He added that while the university has worked to address antisemitism, “these ends will not be achieved by assertions of power, unmoored from the law, to control teaching and learning at Harvard.”

A broader political campaign targeting higher education

The freeze at Harvard is part of a larger campaign by the Trump administration to use federal funding as leverage over elite academic institutions. The administration has made similar moves against other Ivy League schools, including the University of Pennsylvania, Brown, and Princeton, pushing them to align with its policies.

The administration claims that universities allowed antisemitic rhetoric and conduct to go unchecked during recent protests over Israel’s military operations in Gaza—an allegation the schools deny. The demands sent to Harvard resemble those issued to Columbia University, which made changes under the threat of losing billions in federal funding.

Legal battles and public support emerge

The administration’s aggressive actions have prompted backlash. A group of Harvard alumni sent a letter urging university leaders to “legally contest and refuse to comply with unlawful demands that threaten academic freedom and university self-governance.”

“Harvard stood up today for the integrity, values, and freedoms that serve as the foundation of higher education,” said Anurima Bhargava, one of the alumni who helped organize the response.

Over the weekend, Harvard students, faculty, and Cambridge residents staged a protest in support of the university’s stance. Meanwhile, the American Association of University Professors filed a lawsuit Friday challenging the cuts.

According to the plaintiffs, the administration failed to follow necessary procedures under Title VI, including giving formal notice to both Harvard and Congress. They argue that the demands are politically motivated and are not a legitimate response to any proven legal noncompliance.

“These sweeping yet indeterminate demands are not remedies targeting the causes of any determination of noncompliance with federal law,” the lawsuit states. “Instead, they overtly seek to impose on Harvard University political views and policy preferences advanced by the Trump administration and commit the University to punishing disfavored speech.”