Washington, MINA – Harvard University filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday after the federal government revoked more than $2 billion in funding for the elite institution.
“Over the past week, the federal government has taken a series of actions in response to Harvard’s refusal to comply with its unlawful demands,” Harvard President Alan Garber said in a statement.
“Just moments ago, we filed a lawsuit to stop the funding freeze, as it is illegal and beyond the government’s authority,” Garber added.
According to the lawsuit, the Trump administration is accused of “violating the law” by infringing on First Amendment rights, as well as breaching federal laws and regulations.
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“The government is threatening to withhold federal funds in an attempt to force Harvard to conform to a set of viewpoints and ideologies preferred by the administration,” the lawsuit states.
Harvard is the first major university to openly challenge the administration’s directive, which Trump officials claim is aimed at combating anti-Semitism following campus protests over Israel’s brutal war in the Gaza Strip.
The administration has also targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as labeling them “unlawful and immoral discrimination.”
While the Trump administration claims its goal is to fight antisemitism, Garber, who is Jewish, said he knows “all too well” that there are “legitimate concerns” about the rise of antisemitism.
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“Harvard takes that work seriously. We will continue to combat hate with urgency. Before taking punitive action, the law requires the federal government to engage with us on how we are, and will continue to, fight antisemitism,” he added. [Nia]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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