In a contentious move, the Trump administration has announced the withdrawal of an additional $450 million in federal grants from Harvard University. This action follows closely behind Harvard’s defiance of claims alleging the university as a center for liberalism and antisemitism.
A federal antisemitism task force sent a communication to Harvard on Tuesday, stating that the school would forfeit grants from eight federal agencies. This is in addition to the $2.2 billion that the Trump administration had previously frozen. The task force criticized Harvard as a “breeding ground for virtue signaling and discrimination” and suggested that the university faces significant challenges in restoring its reputation for academic excellence.
The letter, endorsed by officials from the Education Department, Health and Human Services, and other governmental agencies, accused Harvard of neglecting accountability in favor of appeasement and declared that such a stance nullified the institution’s entitlement to taxpayer funding.
Reacting swiftly, Harvard legally contested the sanctions placed upon it by the Trump administration. This legal action amends an earlier lawsuit from April, which challenged the original $2.2 billion funding freeze.
U.S. officials have ramped up pressure on Harvard, partly due to its refusal to heed government requests to curtail pro-Palestinian activities and discontinue diversity and inclusion programs. President Trump, a Republican, has hinted at removing Harvard’s tax-exempt status. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security has suggested the possibility of stripping the university of its ability to host international students.
Recently, the Education Department declared that no new federal grants would be awarded to Harvard unless it complies with administration demands. These include significant shifts in leadership, alterations in admissions policies, and comprehensive audits to ensure an array of viewpoints on campus. Such demands are a component of a broader campaign affecting other renowned universities like Columbia, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell, all facing similar financial repercussions for failure to align with administration expectations.
In the revised lawsuit, Harvard claims much of the previously frozen funding has been axed, with little indication of possible restoration. A letter dated May 6 from the National Institutes of Health informed Harvard that its grants were being rescinded due to allegations of antisemitism on campus. Although there is usually a chance for corrective action before suspensions, the communication suggested no such action was feasible in this case.
Other agencies, including the Defense Department and the Department of Agriculture, have echoed similar sentiments in letters to Harvard, leading the university to seek judicial intervention to overturn these funding cuts.
Harvard President Alan Garber has strongly challenged the government’s assertions, maintaining the university’s nonpartisan stance and efforts to eliminate antisemitism. In a letter sent Monday, Garber argued that Harvard remains law-compliant and labeled the federal actions as an unlawful attempt to manipulate the university’s fundamental operations.
The government’s communication on Tuesday alleged continuous failure on Harvard’s part to tackle racial and antisemitic discrimination. It referenced the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that invalidated Harvard’s race-based admissions process and an internal report highlighting incidents of antisemitic harassment on its campus.