Boston judge restores billions in Harvard research funds cut by Trump

New Delhi,UPDATED: Sep 4, 2025 03:16 IST

A federal judge in Boston has struck down Trump administration cuts to more than $2.6 billion in research funding for Harvard University, calling them unlawful retaliation over governance disputes.

US District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled on Wednesday that the administration’s actions violated the law after Harvard resisted White House demands for changes to its governance and campus policies.

The decision marks a major win for Harvard, which has battled the administration over funding freezes, foreign student restrictions and threats to revoke its tax-exempt status.

If upheld, the ruling would restore hundreds of federally funded research projects stalled by the loss of money. The court’s decision also increases pressure on ongoing settlement talks between Harvard and the administration.

Trump has insisted Harvard must pay at least $500 million as part of any deal. While agreements have been reached with Columbia and Brown, negotiations with Harvard remain deadlocked.

Harvard’s lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of waging a retaliation campaign against the university after it rejected a series of demands in an April 11 letter from a federal antisemitism task force.

Harvard alleging retaliation after it rejected demands from a federal antisemitism task force. The April 11 letter sought sweeping changes on protests, academics and admissions, citing government accusations that the university tolerated antisemitism and leaned too liberal.

Harvard President Alan Garber has pledged to confront antisemitism but rejected political interference. “No government should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” he said.

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With inputs from Associate Press