Harvard Holds Commencement Amid Clash With Trump Administration

Last Updated:May 29, 2025, 13:45 IST

Harvard University is holding its 374th commencement amid tensions with the Trump administration, facing funding cuts and visa restrictions, and is fighting back in court.

Harvard University is holding its 374th commencement ceremony on Thursday at a tense moment, as it faces mounting pressure from the Trump administration. Once seen as one of the world’s top academic institutions, Harvard is now confronting what some see as an unprecedented threat to its values and autonomy.

Harvard is at the centre of a growing political and legal battle with the White House. While other universities risk losing federal funding and the ability to enroll international students unless they meet shifting government demands, Harvard is actively fighting back in court—and paying a steep price for it.

The Trump administration has taken several steps against the university, including requesting federal agencies cancel about $100 million in contracts. According to the Associated Press (AP) reports, more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants have already been cut, and officials have threatened Harvard’s tax-exempt status.

Also Read- Beyond America: Top Asian Universities For Indian Students Amid Trump Vs Harvard Row

Visa interviews for international students across the country were halted on Tuesday, and President Trump said on Wednesday that Harvard should lower its international student population from 25% to 15%, as reported by AP.

Backed by its massive $53 billion endowment, Harvard is pushing back, arguing that the administration’s efforts to crack down on campus activism—particularly protests seen as critical of Israel—are attacks on academic freedom.

The government has also demanded that Harvard overhaul its leadership structure, change admissions policies, audit campus diversity, and stop recognizing certain student organizations.

Is A Wider Crackdown On Foreign Students In US Universities Coming?

Harvard has taken legal action, suing to block the funding freeze and has already convinced a federal judge to temporarily pause the international student enrollment ban. The university is due back in court in Boston on Thursday, even as the commencement wraps up, in hopes of securing a more permanent ruling.

Defending the university’s stance, Harvard President Alan Garber in an interview with a university publication said, “We believe that the government overreach and devastating attacks on scientific and medical research are unwarranted and unlawful, and so we have taken legal action to defend the institution.”

He also acknowledged that universities must engage with criticism—even if it is based on “distortions or inaccuracies”—and said he had ordered internal reviews on both antisemitism and anti-Arab sentiment on campus last year.

First Published: