“All freezes and terminations of funding for Harvard made since April 14, 2025, are hereby vacated and rendered void,” ruled Judge Allison Burroughs of Boston on September 3, calling the administration’s actions a violation of the First Amendment.
The judge acknowledged Harvard’s own admission that antisemitism exists on campus but stressed that cutting funding would not resolve the issue. Appointed under President Obama, Burroughs added that evidence showed Trump was using antisemitism as “a pretext for a targeted, ideologically driven attack on the nation’s leading universities.”
White House spokesperson Liz Huston criticized Burroughs as “an Obama-appointed judge interfering with policy,” insisting Harvard has “no constitutional right to taxpayer money” and would not qualify for future funding. “We will immediately appeal this deeply flawed ruling and are confident we will prevail in holding Harvard accountable,” she said.
Harvard sued the administration in April to restore over $2 billion in frozen funds. The government claimed the cuts were lawful, alleging Harvard failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students, particularly during campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.
The funding freeze forced Harvard to halt hiring and delay key research programs in medicine and public health. Experts warned the disruption could endanger the lives of Americans.