United States: Harvard University wins legal battle against the Trump administration
The government had withdrawn just over $2.6 billion in grants from the prestigious American institution. The White House justified the move in the name of combating anti-Semitism.
Harvard, one of the world's most prestigious universities, is located near Boston, Massachusetts. Photo: Sipa/Jason Bergman
The American justice system has dealt a setback to Donald Trump in his crusade against a section of American universities. A judge on Wednesday ordered the reversal of the Trump administration's funding freeze at Harvard, a victory for one of the world's most prestigious universities.
Since returning to the White House last January, Donald Trump has accused the dean of American universities of serving as a breeding ground for "woke" ideology , a term often misused by conservatives to pejoratively describe progressive ideas in favor of women and minorities.
“Targeted and ideological attack”A strong supporter of Israel, the president also accused Harvard of failing to adequately protect its Jewish or Israeli students during campus protests demanding a ceasefire in Gaza . In retaliation, the government withdrew just over $2.6 billion in grants from Harvard and revoked its SEVIS certification, which allows foreign students to study in the United States.
A Boston judge, seized by the university, "vacated and set aside" the administration's freezing decisions, which, according to the text of her order, constituted a "violation of the First Amendment" of the Constitution. She noted that "anti-Semitism, like other forms of discrimination or prejudice, is intolerable. And it is clear, by Harvard's own admission, that the university has been plagued by anti-Semitism in recent years and could (and should) have addressed this problem better."
But in reality, "there is little connection between the research areas affected by the funding freezes and anti-Semitism." She accuses the administration of "using anti-Semitism as a smokescreen to wage a targeted and ideologically motivated attack on the nation's most prestigious universities." Harvard President Alan Garber emphasized that the decision validated the university's "case for academic freedom."
The White House will appeal"This activist Obama-appointed judge was bound to rule in favor of Harvard," White House press secretary Liz Huston said. She added that the White House would "immediately appeal this outrageous decision." According to Ray Brescia, a professor at Albany Law School, Donald Trump "could return to the negotiating table" to reach an out-of-court financial settlement with the university. "People often settle disagreements out of court for various reasons, even if they think they're completely right," he explained.
The legal battle between the university, one of the most prestigious in the world, located near Boston, Massachusetts (northeast), also serves as a test for other higher education institutions in the Trump administration's crosshairs. As the first hearing opened in Boston, Donald Trump accused the judge of being a notorious opponent and Harvard of "being anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-America."
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The university, for its part, claims to have taken steps to ensure that Jewish or Israeli students and staff do not feel excluded or intimidated on campus, while maintaining that federal government measures "threatened" freedom of expression. In addition to the funding freeze, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in late July that he was opening an investigation into whether Harvard was complying with "all regulations" regarding exchanges with foreign universities. "The American people have the right to expect their universities to ensure national security, comply with the law, and provide a safe environment for all students," the head of diplomacy said in a statement.
Le Dauphiné libéré
