Harvard sues Trump administration over federal fund freeze

Harvard University has taken legal action against the administration of US President Donald Trump, challenging the decision to freeze more than USD 2 billion in federal funding. Harvard’s President, Alan Garber, said in a statement on Monday that the federal government had made several moves after Harvard declined to follow what he called “unlawful” demands. “We have just filed a lawsuit to stop the funding freeze because it goes beyond the government’s legal powers,” Garber stated.

Harvard’s lawsuit names multiple U.S. government departments, including the Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Justice, Department of Energy, and the General Services Administration.

The Trump administration has not yet responded to the lawsuit. However, Trump and his team have previously claimed that their actions against universities are in response to what they describe as widespread anti-Semitism and efforts to roll back diversity initiatives meant to support historically marginalized communities.