By Blessing Nweke

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze nearly $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard University, calling the funding halt an unconstitutional, ideologically-driven attack on academic freedom.

“All freezes and terminations of funding to Harvard made pursuant to the Freeze Orders and Termination Letters on or after April 14, 2025, are vacated and set aside,” wrote U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs in an 84-page ruling.

Burroughs acknowledged recent antisemitism concerns at Harvard but said the grant terminations had little to do with them. Instead, she found the administration used antisemitism as “a smokescreen” for a politically motivated assault on elite universities, violating the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), Title VI, and the First Amendment.

The Trump administration froze the funding in April, citing Harvard’s alleged failure to address antisemitism and issuing a list of 10 demands — including shutting down DEI programs, auditing faculty ideology, and restricting international student admissions.

Judge Burroughs noted that only one demand was directly related to antisemitism. “The defendants failed to meet their burden,” she wrote, finding no evidence of an actual antisemitism review or Title VI violations.

Harvard President Alan Garber called the decision a win for academic freedom and constitutional rights. The university sued in May after receiving termination letters from multiple agencies.

The Justice Department said it will appeal the “egregious decision,” while the White House insisted Harvard “remains ineligible for grants.”

Judge Burroughs also barred future retaliatory funding actions, saying the freeze disrupted critical research projects with no clear link to antisemitism.

“This ruling reaffirms our commitment to open inquiry and the free exchange of ideas,” Garber said.