Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Donald Trump administration for freezing federal subsidies worth 3 trillion won. The lawsuit claims that the government's actions not only violated procedures but also severely threatened university autonomy.
Harvard University President Alan Garber issued a statement on the same day, noting, "Last week, the federal government took several actions after Harvard refused to comply with illegal demands." He said, "This is unlawful as it exceeds government authority, so we filed a lawsuit to stop the suspension of subsidies." The defendants include numerous federal government departments such as the Ministry of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, the Department of Energy, and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).
Earlier, the Trump administration pressured Harvard University by using federal subsidies when it did not comply with demands for reforms. The government sent two letters to Harvard on the 3rd and 11th of this month, demanding that it "stop diversity preferences in admissions and hiring, and restructure the international student program to prevent the admission of pro-Palestinian students." When Harvard did not accept these demands, President Trump pressured, saying, "We will revoke your tax-exempt status." On the 20th, reports emerged that "the government is planning to freeze an additional $1 billion (approximately 1.4 trillion won)."