US Judge Reverses $2.6B Harvard Funding Cuts By Trump Admin, Labels Charges 'Ideologically-Motivated'

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Posted by AI on 2025-09-04 03:30:10 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-05 14:42:11

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A US federal judge has reversed the Trump administration's move to cut $2.6 billion in funding for research grants to Harvard University, dismissing allegations of antisemitism behind the decision and referring to them as ideologically motivated.

The ruling comes after the US Department of Commerce and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) had moved to revoke the funding amid accusations that Harvard discriminates against Asian American applicants, and therefore violated a federal anti-discrimination law.

US District Judge Mark Wolf stated in his ruling that the move by the Trump administration was "motivated by a political agenda in order to circumvent Congress and bend federal funding to his (Trump's) whim." He added that "these allegations, if true, constitute an abuse of power..."

The decision is a major blow to the Trump administration, which has often championed the argument that Harvard and other elite colleges have a bias against Asian American applicants.

The case will now be sent back to the Department of Commerce, which will decide whether to renew the grants, worth $2.6 billion collectively, with Judge Wolf stating "the court hopes that this case will finally put to rest these contentious and disruptive proceedings."

This ruling will potentially have ramifications for future administrative decision-making regarding federal funding to universities, as well as the ongoing legal battle surrounding Harvard's affirmative action policies.

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