Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, escalating a heated battle over federal funding and political influence in higher education.
In a complaint submitted to a federal court in Massachusetts, Harvard accused the government of using financial leverage to force the university into political compliance, calling the move unconstitutional and unlawful.
“This case involves the Government’s efforts to use the withholding of federal funding as leverage to gain control of academic decision-making at Harvard,” the lawsuit states. “The Government’s actions flout not just the First Amendment, but also federal laws and regulations,” it continued, labeling the administration’s actions “arbitrary and capricious.”
The lawsuit follows Trump’s decision to freeze $2.2 billion in federal funding allocated to Harvard, reportedly in retaliation for the university’s resistance to external political oversight regarding its admissions, hiring practices, and perceived ideological bias.
Trump has been targeting elite universities, accusing them of fostering anti-Semitism amid student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. The White House has cited these protests, which spread across campuses nationwide, as justification for investigations and funding threats. According to protest organizers, Harvard placed 23 students on probation and denied degrees to 12 others following the demonstrations.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump slammed Harvard as “a JOKE” and claimed it “teaches Hate and Stupidity,” adding that the school “should no longer receive Federal Funds.”
**‘Sweeping Freeze’**
Harvard President Alan Garber said the university had faced “numerous investigations” and rejected any attempt to compromise its independence or constitutional rights.
Unlike some institutions—such as Columbia University—that reportedly complied with certain government demands, Harvard stood firm. The Department of Homeland Security also threatened to restrict the university’s enrollment of international students unless it handed over visa records related to alleged “illegal and violent activities.”
International students comprise more than 27% of Harvard’s current student body.
“Harvard rejects anti-Semitism and discrimination in all of its forms,” the lawsuit emphasized. “But instead of engaging with us on those efforts, the Government imposed a sweeping freeze on research funding in areas unrelated to the protests—such as medicine, science, and technology.”
The Trump administration’s push aligns with long-standing conservative criticism that U.S. universities are too liberal and unwelcoming to right-wing views.
Harvard, the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university, is seeking a court order to overturn the funding freeze and prevent further federal overreach into academic governance.
