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Harvard University filed a federal lawsuit Monday against President Donald Trump’s administration, marking a sharp escalation in an ongoing conflict between the Ivy League institution and the Republican leader. At the heart of the dispute is a sweeping freeze on $2.2 billion in federal funding, which Harvard says is an unlawful attempt to force political control over academic institutions.
The lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts, accuses the administration of violating both the First Amendment and federal laws by using federal grants as leverage to interfere with university governance. It calls for the funding freeze and new conditions on grants to be declared illegal and seeks reimbursement for legal costs.
“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 complaint states. It describes the administration’s actions as “arbitrary and capricious.”
The conflict stems from Trump’s broader campaign against elite universities, which he claims have failed to address rising campus anti-Semitism, particularly in the wake of student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. Trump has accused institutions like Harvard of promoting left-wing ideology, suppressing conservative voices, and fostering discrimination against Jewish students.
In response to last year’s protests, Harvard disciplined several students—placing 23 on probation and denying degrees to 12—according to protest organizers. Despite these actions, Trump has continued his attacks, calling Harvard a “joke” and accusing it of teaching “hate and stupidity” on his Truth Social platform.
Trump’s administration has threatened the university’s tax-exempt status, foreign student enrollment, and funding unless it agrees to increased oversight of admissions, hiring, and academic content. The Department of Homeland Security has even demanded records of visa-holding students allegedly involved in “illegal and violent activities.”
International students represent more than 27% of Harvard’s student body, and the university argues that the funding freeze endangers critical research in medicine, science, and technology—areas unrelated to the anti-Semitism concerns cited by the administration.
“Make no mistake: Harvard rejects anti-Semitism and discrimination in all of its forms,” the lawsuit emphasizes. “But rather than engage with Harvard regarding those ongoing efforts, the Government announced a sweeping freeze of funding for research that has nothing to do with anti-Semitism.”
Harvard President Alan Garber said the university will not compromise its independence or constitutional rights. Unlike other institutions, such as Columbia University, which have partially complied with federal demands, Harvard has stood firm.
The lawsuit signals a deepening standoff between one of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions and a president determined to reshape American higher education along political lines.
