The Trump administration has officially frozen more than $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard University, after the university rejected a series of strict demands from the White House aimed at curbing antisemitism on campus.
These demands were sent last week and included major changes to hiring practices, admissions policies, academic department oversight, and how protests are handled. One of the most controversial demands was that Harvard report students who are “hostile to American values” to the federal government, and that each academic department must be “viewpoint diverse.” It also required the hiring of a government-approved third party to audit any departments that allegedly promote antisemitic harassment, and it called for faculty plagiarism checks.
President Donald Trump, re-elected recently, has placed elite universities like Harvard and Columbia in the crosshairs of his administration, accusing them of tolerating antisemitism, especially during the wave of pro-Palestinian protests following the Gaza war and continued U.S. support for Israel.
Harvard became the first major university to outright reject the demands. University President Alan Garber released a statement defending academic freedom and Harvard’s independence, emphasizing that the government’s list included unconstitutional controls over intellectual expression and freedom of speech.
“Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard,” Garber wrote.
Shortly after Harvard’s rejection, the Department of Education announced it was immediately freezing $2.2 billion in research grants and $60 million in federal contracts.
In response, Harvard professors have filed a lawsuit, claiming the government’s actions are an unlawful attack on free speech and violate academic freedom. One professor, David Armitage, called it “vengeful” and said Harvard is rich enough to stand its ground — the university has a $53 billion endowment.
Meanwhile, Columbia University, which was also under pressure, accepted the administration’s demands after $400 million in funding was pulled. This led to backlash from students and faculty, accusing the university of caving to political pressure.
Additionally, international students involved in protests have faced legal consequences. Students at Columbia, Tufts, and others have reportedly been detained by immigration authorities, including Mohsen Mahdawi, a green card holder detained during his citizenship interview.