Harvard University is fighting back against the Trump administration. The prestigious university sued the Trump administration in federal court on Monday over its multibillion dollar cuts to the university’s research funding, accusing the White House of undertaking an arbitrary and unconstitutional campaign to “punish Harvard for protecting its constitutional rights.”
The Trump administration has frozen over $2.3 billion in federal research funding to Harvard University, sparking a major legal and political battle. It has done this as part of a broader review of the university’s federal grants, demanding that Harvard eliminate diversity programs, ban mask mandates, and disclose foreign affiliations. The administration has cited antisemitism concerns tied to campus protests as justification.
READ: Full list: Colleges and universities hit by Trump’s federal funding cuts (April 8, 2025)
The Harvard lawsuit against the federal government, claims that the freeze has violated academic freedom and the First Amendment by attempting to coerce changes to university policies. This action has raised alarm across academia, with many seeing it as an unprecedented use of financial leverage to influence higher education institutions.
The funding freeze has had a major impact on Harvard’s operations. In fiscal year 2024, the university has received $686 million in federal support — making up 11% of its operating revenue and two-thirds of its sponsored research. As a result, Harvard has halted numerous research projects and has implemented a hiring freeze.
Harvard is not alone — other top universities like Columbia and Princeton have also faced similar actions, which has sparked a national debate about academic independence and political influence.
The move comes just one day after the Trump administration reportedly planned to cut another $1 billion in federal grants and contracts from Harvard, on top of an existing $2.2 billion cut that was announced last week.
“The tradeoff put to Harvard and other universities is clear: Allow the Government to micromanage your academic institution or jeopardize the institution’s ability to pursue medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries, and innovative solutions,” Harvard’s lawyers wrote in the Monday filing.