Judge Reverses Trump’s Harvard funding cuts
A federal judge in Boston has directed the Trump administration to reverse more than $2.6 billion in cuts to Harvard University, ruling that the funding freeze was politically motivated and unlawful.
In her decision on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said the administration’s move to slash federally backed research funding amounted to retaliation against the Ivy League institution.
“The record makes it difficult to conclude anything other than that the government used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically motivated assault on this country’s premier universities,” Burroughs wrote. She emphasized that while combating antisemitism is vital, free speech protections must also be upheld.
The ruling restores Harvard’s access to federal research funding and bars the administration from imposing future cuts that breach constitutional protections or federal law. Burroughs sided with Harvard’s argument that the government’s actions violated the First Amendment and failed to comply with the Higher Education Act.
The clash between Harvard and the Trump administration has escalated for months, with officials threatening to revoke the school’s tax-exempt status, push for changes in governance, and restrict enrollment of foreign students.
Reacting to the ruling, White House spokesperson Liz Huston said the administration would appeal, dismissing Burroughs as an “activist Obama-appointed judge.” She argued that Harvard had failed to adequately address harassment and discrimination on campus, adding, “Harvard does not have a constitutional right to taxpayer dollars.”
Harvard President Alan Garber welcomed the decision, calling it a reaffirmation of academic freedom. “Even as we acknowledge the important principles affirmed in today’s ruling, we will continue to monitor legal developments and remain mindful of the shifting landscape in which we pursue our mission,” he said in a message to the university community.
