Harvard Rejects Federal Demands, Faces Funding Freeze

Demonstrators gathered on Cambridge Common in a demonstration organized by the City of Cambridge. The rally called on Harvard leadership to resist federal government interference at the university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 12, 2025.

  • Harvard asserts that federal mandates infringe upon academic freedom.
  • Certain Harvard professors have already initiated legal action against the Trump administration.
  • The U.S. government has suspended federal funding to numerous universities.

Harvard has declined multiple requests from the Trump administration, deeming them as an attempt by a conservative government to seize control of the institution, which they view as dangerously leftist.

Shortly after Harvard’s announcement, the Trump administration declared a freeze on $2.3 billion in federal funding for the university.

This funding freeze follows the administration’s announcement last month of a review of $9 billion in federal contracts and grants to Harvard. This review is part of a broader effort to address what they describe as antisemitism that arose on college campuses during pro-Palestinian protests over the past 18 months.

An Education Department task force on combating antisemitism stated that America’s oldest university possesses a “troubling entitlement mindset prevalent in the nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges — suggesting that federal investment does not necessitate adhering to civil rights laws.”

This exchange intensifies the conflict between the Trump administration and some of the world’s wealthiest universities, raising concerns about freedom of speech and academic liberties.

The administration has blocked hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to numerous universities, urging them to implement policy changes and citing their alleged failure to combat antisemitism on campus.

Deportation proceedings have commenced against some detained foreign students who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, and visas for hundreds of other students have been revoked.

Harvard President Alan Garber stated in a public letter that the Department of Education’s demands would grant the federal government “control over the Harvard community” and jeopardize the school’s “values as a private institution dedicated to the pursuit, production, and dissemination of knowledge.”

Garber emphasized that “no government — regardless of its political affiliation — should dictate what private universities can teach, who they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”

He also addressed allegations of antisemitism, stating, “As we defend Harvard, we will continue to foster a vibrant culture of open inquiry on our campus; develop the tools, skills, and practices necessary for constructive engagement with one another; and expand the intellectual and viewpoint diversity within our community.”

The issue of antisemitism on campus emerged before Trump’s second term, following pro-Palestinian student protests at several universities the previous year.

White House spokesman Harrison Fields stated that Trump is “working to Make Higher Education Great Again by ending unchecked anti-Semitism and ensuring federal taxpayer dollars do not fund Harvard’s support of dangerous racial discrimination or racially motivated violence.”

In a letter, the education department asserted that Harvard has “failed to uphold the intellectual and civil rights standards required for federal funding.”

The department demanded that Harvard diminish the influence of faculty, staff, and students “more dedicated to activism than scholarship” and conduct an external audit of each department’s faculty and students to ensure “viewpoint diversity.”

The letter further stipulated that Harvard must exclusively hire faculty and admit students based on merit by August, ceasing all preferences based on race, color, or national origin. The university must also screen international students “to prevent admitting those hostile to American values” and report foreign students who breach conduct rules to federal immigration authorities.

A group of Harvard professors recently filed a lawsuit to prevent the Trump administration from reviewing approximately $9 billion in federal contracts and grants awarded to the school.

The Trump administration is reportedly considering compelling Columbia into a consent decree, legally obligating the school to adhere to federal guidelines in combating antisemitism. Similar to Harvard, some Columbia professors have responded by suing the federal government. The government has suspended $400 million in federal funding and grants to Columbia.

President Garber argued that the federal government’s requirement for Harvard to “audit” the viewpoints of its students, faculty, and staff to identify left-leaning individuals opposed to the Trump administration clearly violates the university’s First Amendment rights to freedom of speech.

“The University will not relinquish its independence or constitutional rights,” Garber affirmed.

He added that while Harvard is actively addressing antisemitism on campus, “these objectives will not be achieved through assertions of power, detached from the law, to control teaching and learning at Harvard and to dictate our operations.”

Garber concluded, “Freedom of thought and inquiry, along with the government’s enduring commitment to respect and protect it, has enabled universities to contribute significantly to a free society and to healthier, more prosperous lives for people worldwide.”

Harvard committed in January to provide enhanced protections for Jewish students as part of a settlement resolving two lawsuits that accused the Ivy League institution of fostering antisemitism.

To mitigate any financial challenges resulting from a potential cutoff in federal funding, Harvard intends to borrow $750 million from Wall Street.