"All funding freezes and terminations imposed on Harvard since 14/4/2025 are vacated and deemed null and void," US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston ruled on 3/9. She described the Trump administration's move as "a violation of the First Amendment."

Harvard University students and faculty protest in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on 17/1. Photo: AP

Harvard University students and faculty protest in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on 17/1. Photo: AP

The judge acknowledged Harvard's admission in legal filings of antisemitism on campus, but said the administration's funding cuts would not address the issue.

Burroughs, an Obama appointee, added that the evidence she reviewed suggested Trump used antisemitism as "a pretext for a targeted, ideologically motivated attack on the nation's leading universities."

In April, Harvard sued the Trump administration to restore over USD 2 billion in frozen funds. The administration had argued its actions were legal, based on allegations that Harvard failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students, especially during protests against the Tel Aviv conflict in Gaza on campus.

The funding cuts forced Harvard to freeze hiring and postpone vital research programs, including those in health and public health. Experts warned these disruptions could endanger American lives.

Thuy Lam (AFP, Reuters)