Harvard Scores Major Victory as Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Funding Cuts

A US federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully terminated approximately $2.2 billion in grants awarded to Harvard University, marking a significant legal win for the Ivy League school. The decision by US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston prevents the administration from cutting off research funding to Harvard.

The conflict between Harvard and the Trump administration began when the university rejected demands to restructure its governance, alter hiring and admissions practices, and ensure ideological balance on campus. These demands were made in response to allegations that Harvard failed to adequately address antisemitism on campus, particularly following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza.

The Trump administration launched a broad campaign to leverage federal funding to force change at US universities, which Trump claims are plagued by antisemitic and “radical left” ideologies. Harvard became a central focus of this campaign, with the administration canceling hundreds of grants awarded to researchers and threatening to bar international students from attending the school.

Harvard President Alan Garber argued that the administration’s demands went beyond addressing antisemitism and unlawfully sought to regulate the university’s “intellectual conditions” by controlling hiring and teaching practices. The university claimed it had taken steps to ensure its campus is welcoming to Jewish and Israeli students, who experienced “vicious and reprehensible” treatment following the onset of Israel’s war in Gaza.

Judge Burroughs, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, has previously barred the administration from halting Harvard’s ability to host international students, who comprise about a quarter of the university’s student body. The judge’s decision marks a significant setback for the Trump administration’s efforts to exert control over US universities.