A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully canceled approximately $2.2 billion in research grants awarded to Harvard University, delivering a significant legal victory to the Ivy League institution.
The decision, issued by U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston, prevents the administration from further cutting off research funding to Harvard. The university had become a central target of the White House’s campaign to pressure American universities accused of harboring antisemitism and “radical left” ideologies.
The administration had claimed Harvard failed to adequately address harassment of Jewish students, particularly amid pro-Palestinian protests that erupted after the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. Officials demanded that Harvard pay hundreds of millions of dollars in settlement and threatened actions that included barring international students, revoking accreditation, and restricting more federal funds.
Harvard rejected those demands, arguing that they went far beyond addressing antisemitism and instead sought to impose unlawful control over the university’s governance, hiring, and academic programs. Harvard President Alan Garber maintained that while the university acknowledged Jewish and Israeli students had faced unacceptable harassment, the administration’s actions violated free speech protections under the U.S. Constitution.
Judge Burroughs previously blocked attempts by the administration to prevent Harvard from hosting international students, who make up roughly a quarter of the school’s population. The latest ruling further strengthens Harvard’s position as it pushes back against what it has described as politically motivated retaliation.
