Harvard hits back
In an X post, Harvard wrote, “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government.”
The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government. https://t.co/5k5t9RYYC2
— Harvard University (@Harvard) April 14, 2025
Last month, the Trump administration said that it was evaluating $9 billion in government contracts and grants to the university as part of a crackdown on antisemitism, which it claims has exploded on college campuses amid pro-Palestinian protests over the last 18 months.
A Department of Education task force on combating antisemitism accused the oldest university of America of having a “troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges – that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws.”
What about other universities
The government has frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for multiple universities, pressuring them to make policy changes and alleging a failure to combat antisemitism on campus.
On April 8, the Trump administration froze more than $1 billion in funding for Cornell University and $790 million for Northwestern University as it investigates both colleges for civil rights breaches, according to a US official. The funding freeze mostly affects grants and contracts with the federal departments of health, education, agriculture and the military, Reuters reported.
Cornell University moves court against Trump administration.
According to a Monday (April 14) email from President Michael Kotlikoff and Provost Kavita Bala, Cornell University has filed a lawsuit against the United States Department of Energy and its Secretary, Chris Wright. The plaintiffs in the case claim that the proposed immediate reduction to indirect costs for university research funding violates federal regulations.
What Federal judges have ruled
On Monday, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from quickly revoking the legal status of several immigrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti. District Judge Indira Talwani of Boston issued the latest decision opposing Trump’s quick attempt to carry out mass deportations, mostly targeting Latin Americans.
The government in March stated that it was moving to revoke the legal status of some 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans who came to the US under a ‘parole’ program.
In March, another federal judge warned of ‘consequences’” after the Justice Department denied his request for more information about the deportation flights that took off over the weekend after Trump invoked the rarely used Alien Enemies Act.
Chief Justice John Roberts stands his ground
Soon after, Donald Trump demanded the removal of one who ruled against his deportation plans, Chief Justice John Roberts on March 18 rejected calls for impeaching judges.
“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose,” Roberts said.
This statement came after a social media post from Trump described US District Judge James E Boasberg as an unelected ‘troublemaker and agitator.’ James Boasberg blocked the administration from deporting accused Venezuelan gang members under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act law.
Trump approval ratings
According to a new poll issued on Sunday, Trump’s approval ratings for the economy and inflation have dropped following weeks of tariff policy changes and stock market upheaval, as per the report in USA Today. The CBS News poll of 2,410 Americans revealed that 44% approved of Trump’s management of the economy and 40% approved of his handling of inflation, both down 4% from March 30. The president’s overall approval rating fell to 47% this month, down from 53% in February and 50% in March.
