Overview

• The Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard, citing the university's failure to meet demands on antisemitism, admissions, and governance reforms.
• Harvard President Alan Garber rejected the federal demands, asserting that no government should dictate private university policies on teaching, hiring, or admissions.
• The administration’s actions also enforce the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against racial preferences in admissions, which Harvard has been accused of sidestepping.
• Legal challenges are mounting, and international students report fears of speaking out due to potential visa repercussions linked to the standoff.
• Harvard previously settled lawsuits by adopting the Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism and implementing related staff training, but the government views these measures as insufficient.