Harvard Sues Trump Administration Over Cancelled Research Grants

Harvard University requested a federal judge to compel the Trump administration to reinstate approximately $2.5 billion in canceled research grants. The institution also sought to halt further attempts to withhold federal funding. The legal proceedings took place in Boston before US District Judge Allison Burroughs. The case represents a significant point of contention within the administration's wider efforts to influence US higher education through financial means.

The US Justice Department's senior lawyer, Michael Velchik, contended that the grant cancellations were a government response to institutions that "tolerate antisemitism." Velchik stated that Harvard had prioritized campus protestors over cancer research, and argued the matter should be addressed in the US Court of Federal Claims.

The administration stated that Harvard's refusal to comply with a list of demands in April led to the cancellations, including the suspension of numerous research grants. The university was accused of not adequately addressing reports of antisemitic harassment on campus.

Harvard, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, maintains that the funding cuts jeopardize numerous research projects, including those focused on cancer, infectious diseases, and Parkinson's. Harvard's lawyer, Steven Lehotsky, argued that the administration was using antisemitism as a justification for broader ideological retaliation. Lehotsky emphasized the potential harm to patients and the public resulting from the cessation of this research.