Attorneys for Harvard University argued in court on Monday that the Trump administration illegally slashed $2.6 billion in federal funding earmarked for the school.
In the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the Ivy claimed that the admin’s targeted attacks on the school’s funding are “blatantly unconstitutional” and violate the school’s First Amendment rights. The administration maintains that the massive cuts to Harvard’s grants and other contracts were the result of the school failing to combat antisemitism.
Judge Allison Burroughs didn’t seem to buy the Department of Justice’s argument. She said that the government had provided “no documentation, no procedure, no process” to determine whether Harvard has done enough to combat antisemitism.
“The consequences of that in terms of constitutional law are staggering,” Burroughs said, before questioning the broad brush the government was using to paint the nation’s oldest university as antisemitic. “Don’t you have to show each researcher is antisemitic, instead of a blanket statement: Harvard is antisemitic?”
Burroughs didn’t issue a decision on Monday. Harvard is requesting a ruling by September 3, because of deadlines for submitting grant paperwork.
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to criticize Burroughs, declaring the federal government will come out on top regardless.
“How did this Trump-hating Judge get these cases? When she rules against us, we will IMMEDIATELY appeal, and WIN,” Trump wrote.
Harvard has the nation’s largest endowment at $53 billion. In the wake of the funding freeze, the university has been forced to halt research, carry out layoffs and freeze hiring.
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Monday’s hearing is a crucial step in the mounting battle between Harvard and the Trump administration, which started when the Trump administration issued a series of demands to the school earlier this year. Harvard refused to comply and sued the administration in April.The government has carried out a multi-pronged attack on Harvard, attempting to strip it of the ability to enroll foreign students and threatening the school’s accreditation earlier this month.
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