Summary
A U.S. federal judge ruled that the Trump administration violated the law by canceling more than $2.2 billion in research grants to Harvard University. The judge found that these funding cuts breached free speech rights protected by the First Amendment. This decision is a setback for Trump, who aimed to influence universities through funding policies.
Key Facts
- A U.S. judge decided that canceling Harvard’s grants broke First Amendment free speech protections.
- The funding cuts involved over $2.2 billion for Harvard University.
- The judge's ruling reverses the funding freeze and termination that started after April 14, 2025.
- The Trump administration claimed grants were cut to address campus anti-Semitism.
- The judge suggested the real motives were politically driven against universities' policies.
- Other universities like Columbia and Brown modified policies to avoid funding cuts.
- Trump's administration sought to influence university policies on diversity and student protests through funding threats.
- Harvard resisted these demands, citing academic freedom concerns.
