Harvard University sues Trump administration to stop funding freeze

Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration claiming that its freezing of federal grants worth billions of dollars is unlawful.

Its president, Alan M Garber, announced the action on Monday in a letter to the university community which said the $2bn funding freeze would hamper critical disease research.

Harvard, the world’s richest university, last week rejected a list of demands that the Trump administration said was designed to curb diversity initiatives and fight anti-semitism at the school.

In response to the lawsuit, the White House said the “gravy train of federal assistance” was coming to an end.

Funding cuts have also been implemented at other elite universities, and a new government anti-semitism task force has identified at least 60 universities for review.

President Donald Trump has accused universities of failing to protect Jewish students during last year’s campus protests against the war in Gaza and US support for Israel.

In Monday’s letter, Mr Garber said: “The consequences of the government’s overreach will be severe and long-lasting.”

Studies on pediatric cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease would be affected, he wrote.

It said the withholding of federal funding violated Harvard’s constitutional rights and was being used as “leverage to gain control of academic decision making at Harvard”.

The Trump administration has signalled that another $1bn of federal funding could be suspended. Harvard receives about $9bn in total annually, which is mostly spent on research.

Harvard’s tax exemption status and its ability to enroll international students could also be under threat. Credit: bbc.com

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