On March 18, individuals strolled through the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In response to the Trump administration’s threats of funding cuts, Harvard University declared on Monday that it would not comply with the administration’s demands. The university emphasized its commitment to maintaining its independence and constitutional rights and stated that it cannot allow itself or any private university to be controlled by the federal government.
President Alan M. Garber addressed the Harvard community in an email, informing them that the university had received an updated list of demands from the Trump administration. These demands, purportedly aimed at addressing antisemitism on campus, included restrictions on accepting international students who are deemed “hostile” to American values and institutions. Additionally, the administration called for an audit of programs at the university that were believed to contribute to antisemitic harassment or reflect ideological capture.
Furthermore, the demands required the immediate cessation of all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, with a directive to replace them with “merit-based” policies. Garber criticized these demands as unprecedented and denounced them as an attempt by the government to control the Harvard community’s viewpoints.
Harvard communicated to the Trump administration through legal channels that it would not accept the terms, arguing that the demands infringed upon the university’s freedoms and statutory rights. The university reiterated its commitment to combating antisemitism and bigotry within its community but rejected the government’s demands as unwarranted and disruptive.
The Trump administration’s demands have been extended to other universities across the country, purportedly as part of efforts to combat antisemitism and other ideological views. Columbia University recently agreed to a list of demands, including prohibiting students from wearing masks at protests and implementing increased campus security measures. These actions were taken following the administration’s threat to withdraw federal funding from the university due to perceived inaction regarding harassment of Jewish students.
