In April 2025, Harvard University initiated legal proceedings against the Trump administration, contesting the federal government's decision to freeze over USD 2.2 billion in research funding. The university's lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Boston, asserts that the funding suspension violates constitutional protections and established federal procedures.  

Harvard is the latest among at least seven high ranking higher education institutions, six of them Ivy League schools, that have seen research grants and contracts suspended or revoked over allegations of antisemitism, civil rights violations, and the promotion of politically disfavoured academic content. 

The conflict began after Harvard declined to implement a series of federal directives aimed at altering the university's governance, hiring, and admissions policies. These directives included mandates to audit the ideological viewpoints of students, faculty, and staff, and to enforce "viewpoint diversity" measures. Harvard President Alan Garber characterised these demands as unprecedented intrusions into the university's academic independence.  

In a statement titled “The Promise of American Higher Education”, Garber reaffirmed the university’s commitment to academic freedom and institutional autonomy, emphasising that the federal mandates sought to regulate the “intellectual conditions” of the university, including auditing viewpoints and altering governance based on ideology. He warned that such actions threaten the core values of a private institution committed to the advancement of knowledge. 

But Harvard is far from alone. The administration has also frozen over USD 1 billion in funding to Cornell University, USD 790 million to Northwestern University, and substantial sums at other institutions, including Princeton, Brown, and Colombia. 

While some universities, like Columbia, have moved toward compliance under pressure, Harvard’s lawsuit signals a legal turning point. The university’s complaint argues the federal government is infringing on First Amendment rights and bypassing required legal processes. Following Harvard's refusal, the administration announced the funding freeze and indicated potential additional actions, such as revoking the university's tax-exempt status and restricting the enrolment of international students. The university's legal complaint argues that these measures infringe upon First Amendment rights and bypass legally required procedures for addressing alleged civil rights violations. A preliminary court hearing was held on 28 April 2025, with oral arguments scheduled for 21 July 2025.  

In the meantime, billions in research funding remain in limbo, and the nation’s most prestigious institutions face an uncertain future, caught between political oversight and the principles of academic independence.