The Trump administration delivered a seismic blow to Harvard University on Monday, freezing $2.2 billion in federal grants after the Ivy League institution refused to comply with a sweeping set of reform demands aimed at curbing antisemitism and discriminatory practices.
The move, announced through a letter from key federal officials across the Department of Education, Health and Human Services, and the General Services Administration, marks a dramatic escalation in the administration’s crackdown on elite universities accused of fostering antisemitism and ideological discrimination on campus.
The letter laid out a list of policy changes Harvard was expected to implement by August 2025. These included reforms to hiring practices to eliminate racial, religious, or gender-based preferences; a shift toward merit-based promotion and compensation systems; and tightened admissions policies for international students to prevent the enrollment of individuals hostile to American constitutional values.
Harvard rejected the proposals outright, describing them as an overreach of federal authority. University lawyers accused the administration of attempting to “invade university freedoms long recognized by the Supreme Court,” and claimed the school had already taken steps to address campus bias, hate speech, and safety concerns.
But according to Trump officials, those efforts are far from adequate. The administration’s antisemitism task force called Harvard’s refusal to comply a sign that the university is unwilling to take meaningful action to confront what they view as a deepening crisis of hostility toward Jewish students.
“Harvard’s leadership has made a conscious choice to protect its ideological bubble instead of its students,” said Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum in a statement released with the funding freeze announcement. “No institution is above the law, especially not one funded by the American taxpayer.”
The $2.2 billion in grants affected represent a portion of nearly $9 billion in federal support potentially at risk. The administration’s action also includes a suspension of $60 million in multi-year federal contracts.
President Trump has made campus antisemitism a central focus of his second-term education policy. Last year, he created a federal task force to investigate antisemitic incidents in higher education, particularly in light of the surge in anti-Israel activism following Hamas’ October 2024 attacks. Harvard is one of ten universities currently under heightened scrutiny by the task force. Notably, Columbia University has agreed to comply with the administration’s directives in order to maintain access to federal funding.
The new directive calls for a zero-tolerance approach to discriminatory hiring and admissions practices. It demands that Harvard dismantle systems that allegedly promote identity-based quotas and eliminate any formal or informal preferences based on race, sex, religion, or national origin.
Another key demand seeks to address the influx of international students whose political affiliations may be antithetical to American values. “By August 2025, the University must reform its recruitment, screening, and admissions of international students to prevent admitting students hostile to the American values and institutions inscribed in the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, including students supportive of terrorism or anti-Semitism,” the letter reads.
While critics claim these measures are authoritarian, supporters argue they are overdue.
“Taxpayer dollars should not be funding institutions that fail to uphold basic standards of fairness, nondiscrimination, and national security,” said Thomas Wheeler, Acting General Counsel at the Department of Education.
The response from Harvard President Alan Garber was swift and defiant. In a public statement, he labeled the federal directives “coercive” and accused the Trump administration of engaging in ideological warfare. But that rhetoric did little to alter the administration’s course.
This freeze marks a major turning point in the federal government’s relationship with academia. With mounting public dissatisfaction over elite institutions’ handling of antisemitism, political bias, and diversity-based admissions, Trump is betting that a firm stance will resonate with voters heading into the 2026 midterms.
Harvard’s refusal to comply could have long-term implications not only for its federal funding, but also for its standing with donors, alumni, and policymakers.
For the administration, the message is clear: comply with the law and protect students, or risk losing taxpayer support.
