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The Trump administration launched a comprehensive review of $9 billion in federal contracts and grants awarded to Harvard University on Monday. This initiative forms part of the administration's broader crackdown on alleged antisemitism on college campuses across the United States.
Federal agencies including the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and the U.S. General Services Administration jointly announced the review of $255.6 million in contracts between Harvard and the federal government. Additionally, $8.7 billion in multi-year grant commitments are under scrutiny.
"Harvard's failure to protect students on campus from antisemitic discrimination has put its reputation in serious jeopardy," stated Education Secretary Linda McMahon. She added that Harvard could "restore itself to a campus dedicated to academic excellence and truth-seeking, where all students feel safe."
Harvard President Alan Garber acknowledged the presence of antisemitism on campus, revealing he had experienced it personally. "If this funding is stopped, it will halt life-saving research and imperil important scientific research and innovation," Garber warned in a statement to the university community.
The Harvard investigation follows similar actions against other elite institutions. Earlier this month, the administration canceled $400 million in federal funding for Columbia University, which had been the epicenter of anti-Israel protests following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Columbia recently implemented changes demanded by the administration to begin negotiations for restoring its funding. However, the university's interim president stepped down amid backlash from students and faculty who viewed these actions as capitulation to federal demands.
Critics argue the crackdown represents an overreaction that undermines academic freedom and free speech rights. Meanwhile, supporters view it as a necessary check on what they describe as far-left extremism at American universities.
The Department of Education recently warned 60 universities, including Harvard, about potential enforcement actions under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act if they failed to protect Jewish students. Immigration authorities have also detained foreign student protesters, initiating deportation proceedings in some cases.
Harvard's troubles intensified following a December 2023 congressional hearing where then-President Claudine Gay and other university leaders failed to provide definitive answers about whether calls for genocide against Jews violated campus conduct codes.
