Washington– Harvard University is facing a significant financial blow after the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in federal funding, citing the university’s refusal to comply with a series of sweeping demands tied to campus governance, hiring, and civil rights enforcement.
The standoff began earlier this month when the administration issued a directive ordering Harvard to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices, cooperate with immigration authorities in vetting international students, and implement major changes to admissions, hiring, and internal oversight.
Tensions escalated last Friday when federal officials issued a follow-up letter demanding a comprehensive audit of the political leanings of faculty and students. Harvard publicly released the letter and rejected the demands.
In a statement to the university community, Harvard President Alan Garber said the university would not bow to political pressure. “We will not negotiate over our independence or constitutional rights,” he wrote. “No government should control what a private university teaches or whom it hires and admits.”
In response, the Trump administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced the suspension of multi-year federal grants and halted $60 million in active contracts with the university. The task force criticized Harvard’s stance, saying, “Harvard’s response today reflects a mindset of entitlement that must be addressed. Taxpayer funding carries with it the duty to uphold civil rights protections.”
The dispute unfolds against a backdrop of growing unrest on U.S. college campuses, where protests over Israel’s war in Gaza have intensified. Some demonstrations have led to clashes with police and counter-protesters. President Trump and Republican lawmakers have accused some student activists of supporting Hamas, which is designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.
In March, the Department of Education launched civil rights investigations into 60 colleges and universities over reported incidents of antisemitism, including at Harvard. The funding freeze follows a broader federal review of nearly $9 billion in aid tied to the university and its affiliates.
Garber reaffirmed Harvard’s commitment to free expression and academic independence. “We are open to dialogue, but we will not comply with demands that exceed the lawful authority of any administration,” he said.
The situation at Harvard contrasts with Columbia University, which recently agreed to implement federal-recommended reforms. Meanwhile, two student organizers of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia are reportedly facing legal action from immigration authorities.
Harvard, which reported a $45 million surplus on $6.5 billion in revenue last year, now faces a potentially precedent-setting confrontation that could redefine the relationship between elite universities and the federal government. (Source: IANS)
