The Trump administration has frozen more than $2 billion in federal funds allocated to Harvard University after the Ivy League school formally rejected sweeping federal demands aimed at addressing antisemitism and promoting ideological diversity on campus.
The announcement, made Monday evening by the multi-agency Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, halts $2.2 billion in multiyear federal grants as well as a $60 million contract. The task force includes representatives from the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and the General Services Administration.
The move comes just hours after Harvard sent a defiant letter to federal officials, accusing the government of attempting to override the university's constitutional rights and academic independence.
“Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges – that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws,” the task force said in its official response.
A Clash Over Constitutional Rights and Civil Obligations
In its letter, Harvard challenged the legal and constitutional basis of the federal government’s demands, which include reforms targeting hiring and admissions practices, oversight of campus activism, and increased transparency around antisemitic incidents.
“The government’s terms circumvent Harvard’s statutory rights by requiring unsupported and disruptive remedies for alleged harms that the government has not proven through mandatory processes,” wrote attorneys for the university.
Harvard reaffirmed its commitment to academic freedom and stated it would not allow itself—or any other private institution—to be "taken over" by the federal government.
Despite the firm stance, the university left the door open to future negotiations, noting it “remains open to discussions” with the administration.
Sweeping Demands for Reform
The Trump administration’s demands, sent last week as part of a broader initiative to reshape higher education, call for:
Merit-based hiring and admissions
Screening of international students to prevent enrollment of terrorism supporters
An external audit of antisemitic and ideologically far-left programming
The rollback of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives
Disciplinary enforcement against student agitators
Whistleblower protections
Quarterly transparency reports
The White House is also reviewing nearly $9 billion in broader federal funding to Harvard as part of an ongoing investigation into whether the university is complying with civil rights laws under President Trump’s executive order on combating antisemitism in federally funded institutions.
Campus Antisemitism and the Fallout
The investigation into Harvard began in the wake of widespread antisemitic protests on college campuses following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the subsequent conflict in Gaza. Harvard was among several elite institutions that saw anti-Israel encampments featuring hostile rhetoric toward both Israel and the United States.
In response, Harvard claims to have undertaken a series of internal reforms over the past 15 months, including new accountability mechanisms, disciplinary protocols, and efforts to promote ideological diversity.
“These efforts, and additional measures the university will be taking against antisemitism, not only are the right thing to do but also are critical to strengthening Harvard’s community,” the university said.
However, the federal task force contends that Harvard’s reforms have not gone far enough.
“The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable,” the task force said. “It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support.”
Broader Implications
The clash with Harvard underscores the Trump administration’s broader effort to challenge the ideological status quo in higher education. The administration has launched civil rights investigations into dozens of institutions, targeting what it sees as a pervasive left-wing bias and insufficient protections for Jewish students.
Harvard’s temporary hiring freeze, instituted last month, reflects uncertainty about future federal education policy under the Trump administration’s second term.
