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54m ago

Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump Freeze on Harvard Research Grants, Citing First Amendment

The decision restores Harvard’s grant pipeline by barring retaliatory cuts.

Protestors gather outside the Moakley Federal Courthouse, where Harvard University appeared to challenge $2.6 billion in funding cuts by the Trump administration, Monday, July 21, 2025, in Boston.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 21: A protester holds a sign outside the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse on July 21, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. Lawyers for Harvard University argued in federal court on Monday that the federal government's freeze of more than $2 billion in grants and contracts is illegal and should be reversed. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs vacated the freeze and subsequent terminations and issued a permanent injunction preventing the administration from reimposing unconstitutional conditions on Harvard’s funding.
  • Agencies must resume ordinary processing of grants, restoring more than $2 billion in awards, with some reports placing the affected total closer to $2.6 billion.
  • Burroughs wrote the government used antisemitism as a “smokescreen” and found violations of the First Amendment, Title VI and the Administrative Procedure Act, while also faulting Harvard for a delayed response to antisemitism.
  • The Justice Department indicated it will appeal, as separate settlement talks continue, including a reported $500 million demand floated by the White House.
  • Harvard’s win contrasts with peers such as Columbia and Brown that struck deals to restore funding, as the administration also pursued actions against Harvard over international students, accreditation and tax status.