Trump Freezes $2.2 Billion Funding After Harvard Rejects Federal Demands

In a dramatic escalation of tensions between the federal government and elite academia, the Trump administration on Monday announced the freezing of $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard University. The move comes after Harvard refused to comply with a series of policy demands issued by the administration, including shutting down its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices, cooperating with federal immigration screenings, and overhauling governance, hiring, and admissions practices.

The April 3 directive, delivered to Harvard President Alan Garber, laid out sweeping reforms the university must adopt by August 2025 to maintain its federal funding. U.S. officials accused Harvard of failing to uphold federal civil rights laws and academic standards that justify the continued investment of taxpayer funds.

“The United States has invested in Harvard because of its promise of academic excellence. But investment is not an entitlement,” the administration wrote. “Harvard must uphold civil rights laws and foster an environment of scholarly rigor, not ideological capture.”

The Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, which spearheaded the freeze, cited growing concern about elite institutions' failure to protect Jewish students and uphold civil rights. “Harvard’s entitlement mindset is troubling,” it said. “Taxpayer support requires accountability. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable. Elite universities must take the problem seriously if they wish to receive continued federal support.”

In addition to the closure of DEI offices and reforms in governance, the administration’s demands included merit-based hiring, changes to international admissions, new whistleblower protections, and transparency measures. It also required assessments of departments and feedback from students, faculty, and staff on academic culture and leadership.

Harvard President Alan Garber responded forcefully, rejecting what he described as political overreach. “The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” Garber said in a community message via the Harvard Gazette. “No government—regardless of political party—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they hire or admit, or what they study.”

Despite acknowledging the need to address discrimination, Garber firmly denied that federal funding should be conditioned on relinquishing academic autonomy. Harvard, which reported a £45 million operating surplus on £6.5 billion in revenue last fiscal year, said it would not bend to demands it sees as outside federal authority.

Harvard Law School Professor Nikolas Bowie criticized the administration’s actions as unconstitutional. “This is nothing short of authoritarian,” he told CNN. “They’re violating First Amendment rights by forcing universities to change what they teach and how they operate in exchange for funding.”

The move follows rising campus unrest after Israel’s military operations in Gaza triggered widespread pro-Palestinian protests, some of which turned confrontational. Republican leaders, including President Trump, have equated some activist groups with Hamas, which carried out a deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The Department of Education is currently investigating 60 universities over alleged anti-Semitic incidents. Unlike Harvard, Columbia University complied with similar federal mandates, forfeiting $400 million in grants and implementing strict new policies. Immigration authorities have also taken action against pro-Palestinian activists at Columbia, with two facing deportation or detention.

Representative Elise Stefanik praised the freeze, calling Harvard “emblematic” of higher education’s decline.