Daijiworld Media Network- Boston

Boston, Sep 4: Harvard University has won a significant legal battle against the Trump administration, after a US federal court ruled that the government acted illegally in freezing over $2 billion worth of research funding to the institution.

The ruling, delivered by US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston, stated that the administration’s move in April to suspend a wide range of research grants violated Harvard’s free-speech rights, civil rights, and administrative law. The court, however, stopped short of ordering immediate release of the funds.

Judge Burroughs, in her 84-page judgment, accused the Trump administration of using antisemitism as a “smokescreen” to carry out what she described as a targeted, ideologically driven attack on Harvard and other leading US universities. She noted that the focus on alleged antisemitism on campus appeared “arbitrary and, at worst, pretextual.”

“The government impermissibly retaliated against Harvard for refusing to capitulate to its demands,” Judge Burroughs wrote, issuing a summary judgment without the need for a trial.
The Trump administration had earlier claimed that Harvard failed to protect Jewish students on campus following the Israel-Hamas war, citing this as the reason for withholding federal funds. It was part of a broader crackdown by Trump on elite higher education institutions, accusing them of political bias and misuse of diversity programs.

Reacting to the ruling, White House spokeswoman Liz Huston termed the court decision “egregious” and confirmed that the administration would appeal. “To any fair-minded observer, Harvard failed to protect its students from harassment and allowed discrimination to persist. Harvard does not have a constitutional right to taxpayer dollars,” she said.

Harvard University declined to comment on the ruling.

The development comes even as Trump continues his aggressive stance against the institution, threatening to revoke its tax-exempt status and demanding a settlement of “nothing less than $500 million.” Meanwhile, in a separate case, Judge Burroughs had temporarily halted the administration’s attempt to bar the enrollment of international students at Harvard — a move that has already been challenged in higher courts.

Legal experts believe Wednesday’s ruling could strengthen Harvard’s position in ongoing settlement negotiations. Several other institutions, including Columbia University, have already opted to settle, with Columbia agreeing to pay $221 million.