Trump’s administration: Federal Judge freeze $2.2B funding freeze at Harvard

Ifeyinwa Susan Francis

The Trump administration  violated Harvard University’s First Amendment rights and didn’t follow proper procedures when it froze $2.2 billion of the university’s federal funding earlier this year, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs also ruled that the federal government acted arbitrarily and capriciously when halting the funds.

The judicial branch must ensure essence research isn’t improperly destroyed, she wrote, “even if doing so risks the wrath of a government committed to its agenda no matter the cost.”

Burroughs struck down the Trump administration’s freeze orders and grant termination letters, opening the door for Harvard’s funding to be reinstated.

White House spokesperson said the Trump administration will immediately move to appeal the decision and keep Harvard “ineligible for grants in the future,” in apparent defiance of the ruling.