Overview

• U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs ruled the funding freeze unlawful, calling it a targeted, ideologically motivated attack on leading universities.
• The order requires the release of roughly $2.2 billion in federal research grants and voids freezes and termination letters issued on or after April 14, 2025.
• The administration had tied the cuts to Harvard’s handling of antisemitism and campus protests, claims the court said bore little connection to the affected research projects.
• The White House said it will appeal immediately, with spokesperson Liz Huston arguing Harvard has no constitutional right to taxpayer money.
• Related injunctions have blocked efforts to curb international-student admissions, and the court barred further retaliatory funding stops against Harvard.