A federal judge is hearing arguments Monday in two lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s decision to freeze more than $2 billion in federal funding for Harvard University.
President Donald Trump has demanded that the university make sweeping changes in response to antisemitism allegations on campus. The administration claims Harvard failed to protect students from harassment following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, citing what it describes as lax disciplinary policies during on-campus protests.
Harvard argues it has already taken steps to combat antisemitism—and says it won’t cave to political threats.
“The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” Harvard President Alan Garber said in a letter to the Harvard community.
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The funding freeze could have far-reaching effects beyond the university. Dr. Roger Shapiro, an HIV researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told Scripps News the pause in funding could severely impact public health efforts.
“When there’s a war between Harvard and the Trump administration, the people who are suffering the most are the most vulnerable,” he said.
During Monday’s hearing, Harvard’s lawyer Steven Lehotsky argued the government is overreaching by trying to control how the university operates. But Michael Velchik, representing the government, reportedly said federal agencies have the authority to revoke grants when institutions are out of compliance with the president’s directives.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs pressed Velchik on whether the government had provided evidence of specific departments or programs engaging in antisemitism.
Meanwhile, President Trump lashed out at the judge on Truth Social.
"The Harvard case was just tried in Massachusetts before an Obama appointed Judge," he stated on Truth Social. "She is a TOTAL DISASTER, which I say even before hearing her Ruling."
