Trump Admin Broke Law When Freezing $2 Billion in Harvard Funding, Judge Says

By Charisma Madarang Charisma Madarang Contact Charisma Madarang on X Contact Charisma Madarang by Email View all posts by Charisma Madarang September 3, 2025 Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library on Harvard's campus on June 5, 2025. Heather DiehlThe Boston Globe The Trump administrations freeze of more than 2 billion in grant funds for Harvard University over allegations of antisemitism on campus was ruled illegal by a federal judge on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs decision moves to restore the crucial research funding and sided with Harvards arguments that the administration had violated First Amendment protections under the Constitution. We must fight against antisemitism, but we equally need to protect our rights, including our right to free speech, and neither goal should nor needs to be sacrificed on the altar of the other, Burroughs wrote in the 84-page ruling. Harvard is currently, even if belatedly, taking steps it needs to take to combat antisemitism and seems willing to do even more if need be. Burroughs continued, Now it is the job of the courts to similarly step up, to act to safeguard academic freedom and freedom of speech as required by the Constitution, and to ensure that important research is not improperly subjected to arbitrary and procedurally infirm grant terminations, even if doing so risks the wrath of a government. In a statement to Rolling Stone on Wednesday, White House spokesperson Liz Huston said that to any fair-minded observer, it is clear that Harvard University failed to protect their students from harassment and allowed discrimination to plague their campus for years, adding, Harvard does not have a constitutional right to taxpayer dollars and remains ineligible for grants in the future. *Reporting by Rollingstone.*