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Trump administration legal disputes with Harvard University

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2026-11-02 23:02 UTC → 2026-11-03 01:44 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Trump administration has engaged in multiple legal actions against Harvard University involving federal funding and admissions practices. In October 2026, a federal appeals court began reviewing a dispute over more than $2 billion in research grants. This follows a district court ruling that restored the funds after determining the administration’s cuts were illegal retaliation for the university’s refusal to meet specific governance and policy demands. The government maintains it has the right to withhold funding to ensure universities address antisemitism on campus, while Harvard’s legal team characterized the actions as “retaliatory discrimination.” In November 2026, a federal judge in Boston dismissed a separate lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice. The administration had sought to compel Harvard to release detailed student admissions records as part of a civil rights investigation into compliance with Supreme Court rulings on race in admissions. ~~The judge dismissed~~ U.S. District Judge Myong Joun ruled the suit must be dismissed on procedural grounds, ~~ruling that~~ noting the government failed to ~~seek~~ adequately attempt to secure voluntary compliance or notify the university of potential litigation before ~~initiating litigation.~~ seeking court intervention. The ruling does not determine whether Harvard has discriminated or if the government is entitled to the data. Harvard has described these legal efforts as part of a broader campaign to target Ivy League institutions.

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