White House Responds
The Trump administration quickly vowed to appeal. “This activist Obama-appointed judge was always going to rule in Harvard’s favor, regardless of the facts,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston told CNN. “To any fair-minded observer, it is clear that Harvard University failed to protect their students from harassment and allowed discrimination to plague their campus for years.”
Despite her ruling, Burroughs acknowledged Harvard’s past failures: “Harvard was wrong to tolerate hateful behavior for as long as it did. But combating antisemitism cannot be accomplished on the back of the First Amendment.”
Broader Fight Over Harvard University Oversight
The funding freeze, issued in April, was part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration against elite universities. Other institutions—including Columbia, Brown, Cornell, and UCLA—have faced similar demands. UPI reported that Columbia University agreed to a $200 million settlement, while Brown committed $50 million to workforce development programs.
Harvard, however, chose a more confrontational approach, becoming the only university to take the White House to court. Burroughs’ ruling invalidates the freeze order and bars the government from withholding funds without proper legal process.
