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6mo ago

Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump Freeze on Harvard Grants, Citing First Amendment

The administration plans to appeal, leaving the timing of released research funds uncertain.

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Harvard banners hang in front of Widener Library during the 374th Harvard Commencement in Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 29, 2025.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 21: A protester holds a sign outside the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse on July 21, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. Lawyers for Harvard University argued in federal court on Monday that the federal government's freeze of more than $2 billion in grants and contracts is illegal and should be reversed. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs vacated the freeze and termination orders on Harvard’s federal research grants, ordering roughly $2.2 billion in funding restored.
  • Burroughs found the actions violated the First Amendment and federal law, writing that antisemitism was used as a smokescreen for an ideologically driven campaign against top universities.
  • The ruling bars officials from imposing new retaliatory freezes or terminations of Harvard funding based on the same grounds.
  • The dispute escalated after an April 11 task-force letter demanded sweeping changes to Harvard’s governance, hiring, admissions and programs, which the university rejected.
  • Hundreds of projects were disrupted during the freeze, and Harvard said it had to self-fund some research as other elite schools cut settlement deals, including Columbia and Brown, while the White House pressed Harvard for $500 million.