A federal judge in Boston delivered a major victory to Harvard University on Wednesday, ordering the Trump administration to reverse its cuts of over $2.6 billion in research funding. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled that the cuts were illegal retaliation for Harvard’s refusal to comply with White House demands for sweeping changes to its governance and policies, marking a significant setback for the administration’s campaign against the Ivy League institution.
The Trump administration had linked the funding freezes to Harvard’s alleged delays in addressing antisemitism on campus, but Burroughs dismissed this as a pretext. “A review of the administrative record makes it difficult to conclude anything other than that Defendants used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities,” she wrote in her 84-page decision. The ruling nullifies funding freezes and terminations since April 14, 2025, and bars future cuts that violate Harvard’s constitutional rights or federal law.
The decision promises to revitalize Harvard’s vast research operations, which support hundreds of projects, including those in medicine, technology, and national security. Harvard had been forced to self-fund some research after the cuts, but warned it could not sustain the full financial burden. The university’s lawsuit, filed in April, accused the administration of waging a retaliatory campaign after Harvard rejected demands outlined in an April 11 letter from a federal antisemitism task force. The letter called for overhauls in admissions, hiring, and academic programs, which Harvard President Alan Garber said infringed on academic freedom.
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The administration’s actions began with a $2.2 billion funding freeze the same day Harvard rebuffed the demands. By May, Education Secretary Linda McMahon declared Harvard ineligible for new grants, and federal agencies later terminated contracts, citing a clause allowing cancellations for policy misalignment. The Trump administration denied retaliation, claiming the grants were already under review and that it has broad authority to cancel contracts. “It is the policy of the United States under the Trump Administration not to fund institutions that fail to adequately address antisemitism,” court documents stated.
Beyond the courtroom, Harvard and the administration have been negotiating a potential settlement to restore funding and end investigations, with Trump demanding at least $500 million from the university. No agreement has been reached, unlike deals struck with Columbia and Brown universities. The ruling intensifies pressure on these talks, with Harvard’s $53 billion endowment offering leverage but not a full solution to the funding gap.
Burroughs, an Obama appointee, also blocked a separate Trump administration attempt to bar Harvard from hosting international students, a decision the administration plans to appeal. White House spokesperson Liz Huston called Burroughs an “activist judge,” vowing to challenge the ruling. Harvard’s Garber welcomed the decision, stating it “validates our arguments in defense of the University’s academic freedom, critical scientific research, and the core principles of American higher education.” As the legal battle continues, the ruling marks a critical moment in Harvard’s fight to protect its autonomy and research mission.
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