On April 21st local time, Harvard University filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to block its move to freeze billions of dollars in federal funds.

The university claimed that the US government was attempting to control Harvard's academic decisions by freezing federal funds.

According to The New York Times, this lawsuit marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the US higher education community and Trump. Trump had previously vowed to "take back" elite universities.

Harvard Business School, Reuters

According to reports by foreign media such as The Washington Post, CNN, The New York Times, on April 21st local time, Harvard University President Alan Garber said in a letter to the Harvard community members that the Trump administration's actions were illegal and exceeded the scope of its authority.

Gauber stated that in addition to freezing $2.2 billion in funds, the US government also considered freezing another $1 billion in grants, launching multiple investigations into Harvard University's operations, threatening the education of international students, and considering revoking Harvard's tax-exempt status.

The US government used the university's response to anti-Semitism as the justification for its actions, and Gauber also had to "bow" in words: "As a Jew and an American, I am very clear that concern over the rise of anti-Semitism is reasonable." He also agreed that the US government has a legal obligation to communicate with the university regarding its approach to combating anti-Semitism.

However, he pointed out that the government should not use this as a reason to try to control "whom we hire and what we teach."

It is reported that Harvard's lawsuit against the Trump administration was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, accusing the government of launching a broad attack as a means to "control Harvard's academic decision-making."

The defendants in the lawsuit include US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr., Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Acting Administrator of the General Services Administration Stephen Eshkenazi, among others.

On April 17th local time, Harvard students, faculty, and staff held a rally. AP

CNN cited court documents reporting that Harvard University stated that Trump's reduction in funding was part of a "pressure campaign" aimed at forcing the school to comply with government control.

Harvard's lawyers wrote that the US government's actions "threatened Harvard's academic independence" and were "part of the government's extensive efforts to punish Harvard for defending its constitutional rights."

Reuters reported that in response to Harvard's lawsuit, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields wrote in an email statement that the federal government would "end its generous funding to institutions like Harvard University." "Taxpayer support is a privilege, and Harvard has failed to meet the basic conditions required to earn this privilege."

The Trump administration sent a letter to Harvard University on the 11th, requesting that the university undergo extensive management and leadership reforms, adopt a "merit-based" admissions and hiring policy, and review the "viewpoint diversity" of its research institutions, faculty, and leadership. During this period, Harvard University was required to share all hiring data and admission data with the Trump administration.

Harvard rejected the "rectification" requirements proposed by the Trump administration. Gauber then pointed out that no American government—whether Democratic or Republican—should dictate what private universities can teach, admit, or hire, or engage in which areas of exploration and research.

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