Harvard and the Trump Administration face off in federal court over $2.6 billion in funding cuts

On Monday, Harvard University appeared in federal court in Massachusetts in a crucial case against President Donald Trump's administration, which cut $2.6 billion in federal funds, which the institution argues is illegal.

The Trump administration has sanctioned Harvard for months, accusing it of being a hotbed of anti-Semitism. In April, a federal anti-Semitism task force demanded sweeping changes to the university's protest, admissions, and hiring policies, including audits of the political views of students and faculty. For its part, Harvard rejected these demands, calling them illegal and an intrusion on its autonomy.

At Monday's hearing, Harvard's lawyer, Steven Lehotsky, argued that the funding cuts threaten to disrupt crucial research, close labs, and damage academic careers. “It’s not about Harvard’s conduct. It’s about the government’s conduct toward Harvard," Lehotsky said, according to AP reports.

The case is being presided over by federal Judge Allison Burroughs, who previously temporarily blocked the administration's efforts to restrict admission of international students to Harvard.

Burroughs questioned the basis for the cuts, noting that the government failed to provide evidence that the funded research was anti-Semitic. “The consequences of that in terms of constitutional law are staggering”, she said, calling the government's claims "mind-boggling" and demanding documentation justifying the decisions.

For his part, government lawyer Michael Velchik defended the administration's authority to cancel funding, arguing that the funding priorities align with Trump's executive order to combat anti-Semitism.

Velchik, a Harvard alumnus, claimed the university allowed anti-Semitism to flourish in the wake of Hamas attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, citing campus protests with anti-Semitic slogans and attacks on Jewish students. "The government is pro-Jewish students at Harvard. The government is pro-Jewish faculty at Harvard.”

For his part, Harvard's president, Alan Garber, defended the university's efforts to combat anti-Semitism but insisted that no government should dictate the teaching, admissions, or research policies of a private university.

The hearing concluded without an immediate ruling from Burroughs, who will issue a written decision at a later date.