Trump Administration Vs Harvard: A Feud To Leave A Deepening Impact

According to reports, the Donald Trump administration is cutting $450 million in federal grants to the prestigious Harvard University. Previously, it had already frozen $2.2 billion in federal grants. This action comes at a crucial point in an already established ideological battle between America's oldest and wealthiest university and an increasing effort by the Trump government to exert greater and tighter control over U.S. colleges.

To understand the context and the possible repercussions the education world might face following these actions, we need to revisit two major legal—and arguably ideological—battles between the current U.S. federal government and leading American universities, with Harvard and MIT at the forefront. The first case concerns issues related to international student visas during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the second stems from affirmative action in U.S. college admissions.

In July 2020, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that international students enrolled in institutions offering only online courses would be prohibited from staying in the U.S. This harsh and draconian step placed thousands of students at risk of deportation amid a global health crisis. Harvard University, alongside MIT, filed a lawsuit to block the policy immediately, arguing that it was legally unsound and harmed the interests of both students and educational institutions. The lawsuit garnered support from over 200 academic institutions, as well as tech giants like Google and Meta. As a result, the Trump administration was forced to rescind the policy within days—a significant win for academic autonomy and student rights advocates.

Parallel to this controversy, the Trump-era Department of Justice (DoJ) became involved in an ongoing legal battle against Harvard’s race-conscious admissions process. In a case initiated by Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), the department alleged that Harvard discriminated against Asian-American applicants by using a “personal rating” system that suppressed their chances of admission. The SFFA received public backing from the Trump DoJ, claiming that Harvard’s practices violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by penalizing applicants based on race.

In court, Harvard defended its admissions process, stating that race was only one factor among many in a holistic selection method aimed at achieving a diverse student body. Though lower courts initially upheld Harvard's arguments, the U.S. Supreme Court, in 2023, ruled that race-conscious admissions at Harvard and UNC were unconstitutional, effectively ending affirmative action in college admissions.

Following these intense legal battles, the re-elected Trump government took firm action against Harvard University. While Harvard has repeatedly emphasized inclusivity, diversity, and institutional autonomy, the Trump administration argues that such policies violate basic constitutional rights and harm the nation's interests. A backdrop to this tension is the COVID-19 relief funds controversy, in which Trump and then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos argued that universities like Harvard—with multi-billion dollar endowments—should not accept government relief funds intended for schools in need. However, the evident conflict lies in the ideological differences between the two parties.

In a joint statement, attorneys for the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services justified the $450 million funding cut by stating that "there is a dark problem on Harvard’s campus," and that by "prioritizing appeasement over accountability," institutional leaders have forfeited the school’s claim to taxpayer support. Harvard’s response to the matter is yet to be seen, as the university continues to challenge the U.S. government on legal grounds.

The outcome of this battle will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications not only for the academic landscape in the United States but also for educational institutions across the globe.

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