Trump blocks grant funding for Harvard until it meets demands
What's the story
The United States Department of Education has stopped billions of dollars in research grants and other aid to Harvard University. The decision was conveyed to Dr. Alan Garber, the university's president, by Linda McMahon, the Secretary of Education. In a letter published on social media, McMahon wrote, "Harvard should no longer seek grants from the federal government since none will be provided."
Funding reasons
Reason behind the funding halt
The crackdown on Harvard is due to the school's rejection of demands from the Trump administration's antisemitism taskforce, which arose after campus protests against Israel's military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. McMahon has accused Harvard of "a systematic pattern of violating federal law" in her letter. Garber earlier told the Harvard community they only chose to sue the federal government after it had frozen $2.2bn in funding and threatened another $1bn freeze on grants.
Legal action
Harvard's lawsuit against the Trump administration
Harvard has sued the Trump administration, claiming the government's funding cuts would have severe "real-life consequences for patients, students, faculty, staff [and] researchers," by stopping vital medical and scientific research. The university claims these demands would place unprecedented control over its operations. But McMahon challenged the backgrounds of Harvard students and accused the university of making a mockery of America's higher education system by admitting foreign students who "engage in violent behavior and show contempt for the United States."
University rebuttal
Harvard's response to McMahon's accusations
Harvard recently launched its own investigations into alleged antisemitism and bias against Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian students. These internal reviews sought to address broader allegations and concerns on campus. The university has also been accused of training officials of a Chinese paramilitary organization, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) on two occasions. The Trump administration had sanctioned XPCC in 2020 for its alleged role in human rights abuses, including mass detention and forced labor in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.