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Federal Judge Rules Trump Admin Illegally Blocked Research Funding from Harvard

HeadlineSep 04, 2025

A federal judge in Boston has ruled in favor of Harvard, saying the Trump administration violated the university’s free speech rights when canceling nearly $2.2 billion in research grants. In her ruling, Judge Allison Burroughs wrote, “A review of the administrative record makes it difficult to conclude anything other than that [the government] used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities.” Harvard was the only university to sue the Trump administration after it targeted the school’s research funding over claims of antisemitism. The Trump administration has also tried to prevent Harvard from enrolling foreign students and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status. The White House says it plans to appeal the decision.

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