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Harvard University filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration after the government froze $2.2 billion in federal research grants, escalating a tense standoff over academic freedom, First Amendment protections, and what Harvard calls “unprecedented and improper” federal overreach.
“The consequences of the government’s overreach will be severe and long-lasting,” Harvard President Alan Garber said in a message to the university community announcing the suit.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, the 51-page complaint challenges the administration’s freeze order as unconstitutional, citing violations of the First Amendment and federal regulations. The university is asking the court to reverse the freeze and block any future funding terminations.
Last week, the Trump administration announced the freeze after Harvard refused to comply with demands allegedly aimed at addressing antisemitism on campus — including controversial requests such as an audit of student political views and banning international students deemed “hostile to American values and institutions.”
Harvard rejected the conditions as unlawful, prompting Trump to suggest the school’s tax-exempt status could be revoked — a move with potentially severe financial and operational consequences.
In its suit, Harvard argues that the federal funding in question supports critical research in medicine, technology, and national security, none of which is related to the administration’s concerns about antisemitism.
“The Government has not — and cannot — identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen,” the complaint reads. “Nor has the Government acknowledged the significant consequences that the indefinite freeze… will have on Harvard’s research programs… and the national interest.”
The lawsuit comes as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on universities over campus speech and antisemitism. Last month, Columbia University agreed to a list of federal demands to avoid losing $400 million in funding. Meanwhile, Princeton University faced $4 million in cuts for allegedly promoting “climate anxiety” through its environmental research — prompting it to join a multi-university lawsuit filed last week.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
Legal experts say the case could become a major test of the limits of executive power over higher education funding and the constitutional protections afforded to universities.
For now, Harvard says it will continue its fight — in court and in the public sphere.
“The administration’s actions are not just a threat to Harvard,” said Garber. “They are a threat to all institutions committed to truth, inquiry, and the advancement of knowledge.”
