Harvard University has been hit with a $2.2 billion freeze on federal funding after it rejected a list of far-reaching demands from the Trump administration, which claims it is attempting to combat anti-Semitism on US campuses.
The prestigious Ivy League institution received the ultimatum earlier this month, calling for sweeping changes to its governance, hiring practices, and admissions procedures. The demands also included the closure of diversity offices and collaboration with immigration authorities to screen international students.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to students and staff, Harvard President Alan Garber vowed that the university would not bow to political pressure or compromise on its academic independence.
“We will not negotiate over our independence or our constitutional rights,” Garber wrote, rejecting the government’s proposals.
The Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, formed under Trump, responded by placing a hold on $2.2 billion in long-term grants and an additional $60 million in federal contracts.
“Harvard’s response reflects an entitlement mindset that fails to recognise the obligations tied to federal funding,” the task force said. “The harassment of Jewish students is unacceptable. Elite universities must take this problem seriously if they expect to continue receiving taxpayer support.”
Tensions over Israel’s war in Gaza led to widespread campus protests last year, some of which descended into violent confrontations. Trump and other Republicans have accused student protestors of sympathising with Hamas, a group the US officially designates as a terrorist organisation following its deadly 7 October 2023 assault on Israel.
In March, the Department of Education launched investigations into 60 universities for alleged anti-Semitic discrimination. Harvard’s funding came under review soon after, with the administration issuing initial conditions for continued support. A more extensive list followed last Friday, including a request to audit students and faculty on their views.
Garber maintained that while the university was open to dialogue, it would not accept demands that exceeded the government’s lawful authority.
“No administration — of any party — should dictate who private universities admit or hire, or what they teach,” he said.
Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who has led aggressive questioning of universities on the issue, called Harvard “the epitome of moral and academic decay” and accused it of tolerating “raging anti-Semitism.”
Meanwhile, Harvard’s stance received backing from several prominent Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senator Bernie Sanders.
“Congratulations to Harvard for refusing to relinquish its constitutional rights to Trump’s authoritarianism,” Sanders posted on X. “Other universities should follow their lead.”
Elsewhere, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has filed a lawsuit to block the Department of Energy from cutting its research grants, which fund work involving nearly 1,000 people at the university.
The federal freeze on Harvard comes as Columbia University faces a $400 million cut after it agreed to disciplinary reforms and bolstered its campus security in the wake of last year’s pro-Palestinian protests.
Additionally, immigration authorities have targeted key student organisers of the Columbia protests. Mahmoud Khalil is facing deportation proceedings, while Mohsen Mahdawi was arrested during a citizenship interview on Monday.
