Federal Court Restores Funding
A federal judge in Massachusetts has ruled that the Trump administration acted unlawfully when it canceled more than $2.2 billion in research grants awarded to Harvard University. Judge Allison Burroughs issued the decision on September 3, ordering the government to reinstate the funding and blocking any further attempts to withhold it. The grants, which had been frozen since the spring, support hundreds of research projects in medicine, science, and engineering.
Judge Cites Retaliation and Coercion
In an 84-page opinion, Judge Burroughs found that the administration’s move to terminate the grants was unconstitutional and violated federal administrative law. She concluded the decision was tied to political disputes over campus climate and antisemitism investigations, rather than to lawful funding criteria. The court ruled that the government cannot use research funding as leverage in unrelated policy battles.
What Comes Next
Harvard officials praised the ruling, saying it protects vital research and the faculty and students who depend on it. The Department of Justice has not said whether it will appeal to the First Circuit. Federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, are expected to resume payments soon, but the timing remains uncertain. The ruling delivers a major setback to the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure universities through federal funding.
