A federal judge in Boston, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully terminated approximately $2.2 billion in research grants awarded to Harvard University.The ruling prevents the administration from cutting off critical research funding to the prestigious Ivy League institution.Driving the news: Harvard had been targeted as part of the administration’s wider campaign to influence U.S. universities, accusing them of harboring antisemitism and “radical left” ideologies.
Other Ivy League schools, including Columbia University, reached settlements restoring federal funds after facing similar allegations tied to campus antisemitism related to pro-Palestinian protests following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and ensuing Gaza conflict.Trump publicly demanded harsh settlements from Harvard, at an Aug. 26 Cabinet meeting insisting the school pay “nothing less than $500 million” and instructed officials to negotiate no less than that amount.The initial cancellation of hundreds of grants was based on claims that Harvard failed to adequately address harassment of Jewish students on campus.Beyond funding cuts, the Trump administration attempted to bar international students from attending Harvard, threaten the university’s accreditation, and sought justification to cut more funds citing federal civil rights law violations.
