WEBDESK: Trump administration decided to freeze over $2 billion in federal grants and contracts to Harvard University. The move came after Harvard refused to comply with the government’s new directives aimed at changing how the university handles diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and campus policies.
The freeze includes $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in contracts, according to the US Department of Education’s Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, which issued the decision on Monday evening.
According to reports, the Trump administration demanded that Harvard University eliminate its DEI initiatives, stop using race-based criteria in admissions and hiring, and increase cooperation with immigration authorities. These changes were presented as part of a broader push to combat antisemitism and reshape campus culture in line with new federal standards.
However, Harvard University stood firm. The university’s attorneys wrote that Harvard, “will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
Interim President Alan Garber rejected the demands, stating that the university would not compromise on academic freedom or institutional independence. He emphasized that no government should have the power to control what universities teach or how they choose their students and faculty.
The Trump administration’s conditions included ending DEI programs, enforcing a campus-wide mask ban targeting protesters, and reporting international students for disciplinary code violations.
Other conditions involved changes to hiring and admissions policies to reflect a more “merit-based” approach, and the restructuring of academic departments accused of enabling antisemitic discourse.
Harvard University President Alan Garber said the demands were not in framed in good faith, claiming they were a part of federal effort to control campus discourse.
Similar measures have already been taken against other prominent institutions, including Columbia University, which lost $400 million in federal support last month following pro-Palestinian protests and encampments.
Columbia’s decision to accept revised federal guidelines was met with criticism from free speech advocates.
Harvard, however, is the first university to publicly refuse the administration’s terms.
Read more: Columbia University interim president resigns amid political pressure
