Harvard, White House in Boston federal court over university funding war
July 21 (UPI) -- Harvard University lawyers will be in a federal court Monday in its ongoing battle with the Trump administration over more than $2 billon in government funding put on hold in spring by the White House.
U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs will hear oral arguments in Boston from Justice Department and Harvard attorneys after federal agencies directed by President Donald Trump froze scores of government contracts and grants Harvard totaling $2.4 billion claimed in court documents in April was a "pressure campaign to force Harvard to submit to the government's control over its academic programs."
The hearing is expected to last one day.
Harvard requested a summary judgment in order to seek a quicker outcome.
It puts at risk more than 950 of Harvard's world-renowned medical, scientific and tech research projects that the university said was "unreasonable and unreasoned" that the White House was weaponizing "as leverage to gain control of academic decision-making at Harvard."
In May, the Education Department stopped diverting grant funds to the university and blocked new grants as the president threatened to end the university's status as a tax-exempt entity.
The Trump administration claimed that the university failed to address rising anti-Semitism on campus in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians.
"Harvard holds the regrettable distinction of being among the most prominent and visible breeding ground for race discrimination," read a letter in part last month to University President Alan Garber from the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism that claimed Harvard was in "violent violation" of the Civil Rights Act over a perceived failure to protect Jewish students.
University officials said the federal government is violating the First Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
In court filings, the administration argued that it is the "policy of the United States under the Trump Administration not to fund institutions that failed to adequately address antisemitism in their programs."
Officials said the university has taken a number of serious steps to root out anti-Semitism that included campus policy updates, expanded training and disciplinary review processes.
Harvard has broad government contracts, including with NASA, Veterans Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, Small Business Administration and the Departments of Commerce and Health and Human Services.
The Education Department announced in March it started a "comprehensive review of federal contracts and grants at Harvard University and its affiliates," in order to reportedly "ensure the university is in compliance with federal regulations, including its civil rights responsibilities."
The next month in April, Harvard then filed a lawsuit against the federal government when it withdrew funding, but offered to reinstate it only if Harvard enforced provisions related to its employment and admissions procedures "as the basis for an agreement in principle that will maintain Harvard's financial relationship with the federal government."
On Monday, a higher education lawyer suggested the case is being watched by other colleges nationwide.
"Across the higher ed landscape, across the entire sector, institutions recognize that what happens in this case will really have a profound impact," Jodie Ferise, an Indiana-based attorney told NPR.
Meanwhile, it's unclear when the judge will issue a ruling. However, legal experts say both sides are likely to appeal the ruling.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trump repeats claim Kimmel, Fallon are ‘next' after Stephen Colbert cancellation
President Donald Trump doubled down on Wednesday that late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel would be 'next' to be canceled during a press conference. During the presser, Real America's Voice reporter Brian Glenn asked about reports that radio host Howard Stern may part ways with Sirius XM after his contract expires this fall. Advertisement With that in mind, Glenn asked if the 'hate Trump' entertainment model was losing popularity with Americans. Trump cited CBS' recent cancellation of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' as an example and added that he believes Fallon and Kimmel are next. 'Well, it hasn't worked,' Trump said. 'And it hasn't worked, really, for a long time, and I would say pretty much from the beginning. Colbert has no talent. I mean, I could take anybody here. I could go outside in the beautiful streets and pick a couple of people that do just as well or better. They'd get higher ratings than he did. He's got no talent.' He continued, 'Fallon has no talent. Kimmel has no talent. They're next. They're going to be going. I hear they're going to be going. I don't know, but I would imagine because they'd get—you know, Colbert has better ratings than Kimmel or Fallon.' Advertisement 4 President Trump suggested Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel's late-night shows are 'next' to be canceled. AP 4 CBS announced 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' will end in May 2026. AP Trump made a similar declaration on Truth Social after Colbert's show was canceled last month. 'The word is, and it's a strong word at that, Jimmy Kimmel is NEXT to go in the untalented Late Night Sweepstakes and, shortly thereafter, Fallon will be gone,' Trump wrote. Advertisement He continued, 'These are people with absolutely NO TALENT, who were paid Millions of Dollars for, in all cases, destroying what used to be GREAT Television. It's really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!' 4 'Jimmy Kimmel is NEXT to go in the untalented Late Night Sweepstakes,' President Trump wrote on Truth Social. AP 4 President Trump predicted that 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon' would be dropped by NBC. Rosalind O'Connor/NBC via Getty Images Advertisement Although some liberal commentators claimed CBS canceled Colbert's show for political reasons to appease Trump, Paramount—CBS' parent company—insisted it was 'purely a financial decision.' Regarding Stern, Trump remarked how he used to 'have fun' when he appeared on his show. He went on to say that Stern went downhill after endorsing Hillary Clinton for president in 2016. 'He lost his audience. People said give me a break. He went down when he endorsed Hillary Clinton,' Trump said.
The Hill
28 minutes ago
- The Hill
The Latest: Trump's tariffs go into effect
The U.S. began officially levying higher taxes on imports from dozens of countries Thursday, four months after President Donald Trump first announced plans to impose tariffs on most of the world while seeking new trade agreements across the board. The White House said that starting just after midnight goods from more than 60 countries and the European Union would face tariff rates of 10% or higher. Products from the European Union, Japan and South Korea will be taxed at 15%, while imports from Taiwan, Vietnam and Bangladesh will be taxed at 20%. Trump also expects places such as the EU, Japan and South Korea to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. The Trump White House is confident that the onset of his broad tariffs will provide clarity about the path of the world's largest economy. Now that companies understand the direction the U.S. is headed, the administration believes they can ramp up new investments and jump-start hiring in ways that can rebalance the U.S. economy as a manufacturing power. But so far, economic data has shown a U.S. economy that began flagging after Trump's initial rollout of tariffs in April. Here's the latest: Tariffs to affect more than half of Indian exports to the U.S. A top body of Indian exporters said Thursday the latest U.S. tariffs will impact nearly 55% of the country's outbound shipments to America and force exporters to lose their long-standing clients. 'Absorbing this sudden cost escalation is simply not viable. Margins are already thin,' S.C. Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, said in a statement. The tariffs effectively impose a cost burden, placing Indian exporters at a competitive disadvantage with countries that have lesser import taxes, he added. In 2024, the U.S. ran a $45.8 billion trade deficit in goods with India, meaning America imported more from India than it exported, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. American consumers and businesses buy pharmaceutical drugs, precious stones, and textiles and apparel from India, among other goods. Modi vows to defend farmers' interests Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India will never compromise the interests of farmers. 'For us, the interests of farmers are a top priority. I know I will have to personally pay a heavy price for it, but I am ready,' Modi said at a conference in what was seen as a message to the U.S. administration, which has been seeking greater access to India's agriculture and dairy sectors. India and the U.S. have had five rounds of negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement, but haven't been able to clinch one so far. On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order to place an additional 25% tariff on India for its purchases of Russian oil. The order would go into effect in 21 days and bring the combined tariffs imposed on India to 50%. Sony profits are up Japanese entertainment and electronics company Sony said Thursday its profit surged 23% in the last quarter from the year before, as damage from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs was less than it had expected. Sony raised its forecast for its profit in the full fiscal year until March 2026 to 970 billion yen ($6.6 billion), from an earlier forecast of 930 billion yen ($6.3 billion). The revised projection is still lower than what it earned in the previous fiscal year at 1 trillion yen. Sony now estimates the impact of the additional U.S. tariffs on its operating income at 70 billion yen ($476 million), much better than the initial estimate of 100 billion yen ($680 million).
San Francisco Chronicle
28 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Latest: Trump's tariffs go into effect
The U.S. began officially levying higher taxes on imports from dozens of countries Thursday, four months after President Donald Trump first announced plans to impose tariffs on most of the world while seeking new trade agreements across the board. The White House said that starting just after midnight goods from more than 60 countries and the European Union would face tariff rates of 10% or higher. Products from the European Union, Japan and South Korea will be taxed at 15%, while imports from Taiwan, Vietnam and Bangladesh will be taxed at 20%. Trump also expects places such as the EU, Japan and South Korea to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. The Trump White House is confident that the onset of his broad tariffs will provide clarity about the path of the world's largest economy. Now that companies understand the direction the U.S. is headed, the administration believes they can ramp up new investments and jump-start hiring in ways that can rebalance the U.S. economy as a manufacturing power. But so far, economic data has shown a U.S. economy that began flagging after Trump's initial rollout of tariffs in April. A top body of Indian exporters said Thursday the latest U.S. tariffs will impact nearly 55% of the country's outbound shipments to America and force exporters to lose their long-standing clients. 'Absorbing this sudden cost escalation is simply not viable. Margins are already thin,' S.C. Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, said in a statement. The tariffs effectively impose a cost burden, placing Indian exporters at a competitive disadvantage with countries that have lesser import taxes, he added. In 2024, the U.S. ran a $45.8 billion trade deficit in goods with India, meaning America imported more from India than it exported, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. American consumers and businesses buy pharmaceutical drugs, precious stones, and textiles and apparel from India, among other goods. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India will never compromise the interests of farmers. 'For us, the interests of farmers are a top priority. I know I will have to personally pay a heavy price for it, but I am ready,' Modi said at a conference in what was seen as a message to the U.S. administration, which has been seeking greater access to India's agriculture and dairy sectors. India and the U.S. have had five rounds of negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement, but haven't been able to clinch one so far. On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order to place an additional 25% tariff on India for its purchases of Russian oil. The order would go into effect in 21 days and bring the combined tariffs imposed on India to 50%. Sony profits are up Japanese entertainment and electronics company Sony said Thursday its profit surged 23% in the last quarter from the year before, as damage from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs was less than it had expected. Sony raised its forecast for its profit in the full fiscal year until March 2026 to 970 billion yen ($6.6 billion), from an earlier forecast of 930 billion yen ($6.3 billion). The revised projection is still lower than what it earned in the previous fiscal year at 1 trillion yen. Sony now estimates the impact of the additional U.S. tariffs on its operating income at 70 billion yen ($476 million), much better than the initial estimate of 100 billion yen ($680 million).
