Harvard University Refuses to End DEI Programs, Trump Freezes $2.2 Billion in Funding

Nationwide — The Trump administration says it will freeze $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts linked to Harvard University after the school refused to follow new policy demands, including ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

The administration recently told Harvard that future funding would only continue if the university agreed to a list of conditions. These included eliminating DEI programs, banning masks at protests, implementing merit-based hiring and admissions, and cooperating with immigration authorities.

Harvard President Alan Garber said the university won’t sign the agreement. “The University will not surrender its independence or its constitutional rights,” Garber said in a statement, according to CNN.

“No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” he said.

This marks the first known case of a top U.S. university publicly rejecting the Trump administration’s funding conditions. The state of New York has also stated its refusal to drop DEI in schools. The White House said the move is part of efforts to “Make Higher Education Great Again,” aiming to fight antisemitism on campuses and prevent federal money from supporting what it calls racial discrimination or violence.

In response, Harvard’s faculty association filed a lawsuit to stop the funding freeze, claiming it violates free speech and academic freedom. The lawsuit warns that canceling federal funds is “imminent,” citing cuts to other schools like Columbia University, which lost $400 million.

“What the President of the United States is demanding of universities is nothing short of authoritarian,” Harvard Law School professor Nikolas Bowie said. “He is violating the First Amendment rights of universities and faculty by demanding that if universities want to keep this money, they have to suppress our speech and change what we teach and how we study.”

Despite its $53.2 billion endowment, Harvard depends on federal funds. Government agencies are now reviewing about $9 billion in grants and contracts connected to the university and its partners.

The administration’s letter also requires Harvard to fully cooperate with Homeland Security and other federal agencies. Harvard has refused to comply, standing by its current policies.