Trump admin races to strike deal with Harvard by end of June: Report

The Trump administration is increasing efforts to reach a settlement with Harvard University in the long-standing legal confrontation with the prestigious institution, according to The Washington Post.

A deal could be finalised by the end of the month. The goal is to set a national precedent that will basically be a blueprint for the rest of higher education, the report claimed.

The university has been one of the primary targets of the Trump administration's pressure campaign on higher education, focusing on alleged antisemitism, diversity policies, anti-Israeli protests, and hiring practices. Despite the pressure, Harvard has been receiving support for resisting what it calls overreach from the federal government. Harvard has no intention of surrendering its core principles.

FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE TRIGGERS WIDER SUPPORT

Harvard has sued the administration twice to halt punitive measures, most notably a freeze on over $3 billion in federal research funding. The university argued that this action endangers scientific and medical projects. More than 40 groups have filed amicus briefs in court supporting Harvard’s case, including alumni associations, hospitals, research universities, and former US officials.

"These cuts threaten everything from the development of cancer treatments to economic stability in more than 20 states," the briefs claim.

In response to the legal pressure Harvard has exerted, a coalition of 16 Republican-led states filed a brief on Monday in support of the Trump administration’s stance. The attorneys general of those states alleged that Harvard has allowed antisemitism on campus and argued that institutions receiving federal funds must be held accountable under anti-discrimination laws.

"Harvard’s current, suffocating atmosphere of antisemitism is illegal," the brief stated. "And that illegal conduct is not protected by the First Amendment."

FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FOREIGN STUDENTS AT CENTRE OF DEBATE

The centre of Harvard's argument is that the administration’s actions violate the university’s First Amendment rights and that federal procedures under Title VI were not followed. The university contends that the government is trying to control campus speech and force ideological conformity.

"The government cannot attempt a hostile takeover of any private institution, much less a private college or university," the American Civil Liberties Union wrote in a brief.

Harvard is seeking a court ruling in the US District Court in Massachusetts that would resolve the case before it goes to trial on July 21.

In a related development, a federal judge in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction to block the State Department and Department of Homeland Security from barring international students and scholars from entering the US to study or work at Harvard. The administration had earlier revoked Harvard’s certification to host foreign students, prompting a lawsuit in May.

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