The Trump administration has escalated its confrontation with Harvard University by freezing more than $2 billion in federal grants and contracts after the Ivy League institution refused to comply with sweeping White House demands aimed at combating antisemitism on campus.
This dramatic move marks the first time a major U.S. university has openly resisted the administration’s pressure to implement ideological reforms tied to federal funding.
On Monday, Harvard President Alan Garber confirmed the university had rejected a list of conditions sent by the White House, which included major changes to its governance, hiring policies, admissions procedures, and diversity programs.
Garber said Harvard "will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights," arguing that the majority of the administration’s demands amounted to government overreach and a violation of academic freedom.
The Department of Education, within hours of Harvard’s refusal, announced it would immediately freeze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in federal contracts.
"Harvard's statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation's most prestigious universities and colleges," the department said.
"The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable. It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support."
The standoff follows a series of clashes between the Trump administration and academic institutions over their handling of antisemitic incidents and the widespread campus protests sparked by the Israel-Gaza war.
President Trump has repeatedly accused universities of failing to protect Jewish students, pointing to protests that criticized U.S. support for Israel.
The administration’s list of demands sent last week called for disciplinary actions against protestors, the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, mandatory viewpoint diversity across departments, and even reporting of students deemed "hostile to American values."
In his letter to the Harvard community, Garber emphasized the university’s ongoing commitment to combating antisemitism but maintained that the government was attempting to "control" the institution’s intellectual environment.
"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," he wrote.
The administration’s hardline stance has been building since late 2023, when Congress grilled university presidents over their handling of antisemitism following the Hamas attack on Israel in October. Harvard's former president, Claudine Gay, was forced to resign after her controversial congressional testimony and allegations of plagiarism.
This year, the White House broadened its crackdown, launching a review of $256 million in federal grants and contracts with Harvard, in addition to nearly $9 billion in long-term commitments.
A group of Harvard professors responded with a lawsuit, accusing the administration of targeting the university’s freedom of speech and academic independence.
Harvard is not alone. Earlier this year, the administration revoked $400 million in funding from Columbia University over similar allegations. Columbia eventually agreed to several of the administration's terms, drawing both internal criticism and national scrutiny.
The Harvard case has drawn fresh concerns from civil rights advocates and legal experts, who argue that the federal government is using financial leverage to dictate campus ideologies.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high as student activists linked to pro-Palestinian protests at several campuses, including Columbia and Tufts, face detention by immigration officials, raising further concerns about civil liberties under the administration’s new directives.
As the battle between academia and the White House intensifies, Harvard’s defiance could become a rallying point for other institutions caught between preserving academic freedom and facing the consequences of defying a combative federal administration.
[BBC]