Harvard University launched a federal lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration, challenging what it describes as “arbitrary and unconstitutional” cuts to billions in research funding that the prestigious institution claims are designed to “punish Harvard for protecting its constitutional rights.”
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The legal action comes amid escalating tensions between the university and the White House, following reports that the administration planned to slash an additional $1 billion in federal grants and contracts on top of a $2.2 billion cut announced last week.
In a 51-page complaint filed in U.S. district court, Harvard’s legal team characterises the funding freeze as part of a coordinated campaign to force the university into accepting extensive federal oversight, including audits of academic programmes, screening of international students based on their beliefs, and the installation of government-approved administrators.
“The tradeoff put to Harvard and other universities is clear: Allow the government to micromanage your academic institution or jeopardise the institution’s ability to pursue medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries, and innovative solutions,” Harvard’s lawyers stated in the filing.
Harvard President Alan M. Garber informed university affiliates of the lawsuit in a Monday afternoon message, asserting, “We stand for the truth that colleges and universities across the country can embrace and honour their legal obligations and best fulfil their essential role in society without improper government intrusion.”
The lawsuit specifically requests that the court halt and declare unlawful the $2.2 billion freeze and any subsequent funding cuts connected to what Harvard describes as “unconstitutional conditions” outlined in the administration’s April 3 and April 11 letters.
Harvard’s legal complaint alleges First Amendment violations, claiming the administration is “imposing viewpoint-based conditions on Harvard’s funding” to pressure the university into restructuring its governance, academic programmes, and hiring practices. The university further contends that federal agencies bypassed legally required procedures under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, with the Department of Health and Human Services allegedly cutting off grants without proper legal justification.
“Under whatever name, the government has ceased the flow of funds to Harvard as part of its pressure campaign to force Harvard to submit to the government’s control over its academic programmes. That, in itself, violates Harvard’s constitutional rights,” the lawyers argued.
President Garber suggested that the administration’s April 11 demands were part of a broader campaign against Harvard that merely used concerns about campus antisemitism as a pretext. “Before taking punitive action, the law requires that the federal government engage with us about the ways we are fighting and will continue to fight antisemitism,” he wrote. “Instead, the government’s April 11 demands seek to control whom we hire and what we teach.”
In his message, Garber also promised to “soon” release the long-delayed final reports from presidential task forces on combating antisemitism and Islamophobia, which were originally scheduled for publication during fall 2024.
The university has retained Robert K. Hur and William A. Burck as legal representation, both attorneys with connections to the Trump administration. Hur served in the Department of Justice during Trump’s first term, while Burck previously represented the Trump Organization. Additional legal support will come from firms Ropes & Gray and Lehtosky Keller Cohn.
This lawsuit follows a week of escalating confrontation after Garber refused to comply with the administration’s demands last Monday, prompting the initial $2.2 billion funding cut, multiple investigations, and threats to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status.
The legal action names nine federal entities as defendants: the Departments of Education, Justice, Energy, and Defence; the General Services Administration; the National Science Foundation; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; the Department of Health and Human Services; and the National Institutes of Health.
The Education Department, GSA, and HHS have spearheaded actions against Harvard, with their department heads signing the controversial April 3 and April 11 letters. Other departments have subsequently suspended grants and contracts to Harvard researchers.
This is not Harvard’s first legal challenge against the Trump administration. In 2021, then-President Lawrence S. Bacow successfully sued over a COVID-era policy that would have prevented international students with virtual classes from maintaining their visa status.
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