WASHINGTON/BOSTON – The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is taking steps to terminate all remaining federal contracts with Harvard University, escalating tensions between the federal government and the Ivy League institution.
According to a letter set to be distributed to federal agencies on Tuesday by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), agencies are being directed to review and potentially cancel existing agreements with Harvard. The total value of these contracts is estimated to be approximately $100 million, according to a senior official.
This directive follows a broader campaign by the Trump administration to curtail financial and institutional support for Harvard. In recent weeks, the administration has already revoked nearly $3 billion in federal research funding and moved to suspend the university’s ability to enroll international students—a population that constitutes about 27% of its student body, or roughly 6,800 individuals.
A federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked the administration’s attempt to bar foreign student enrollment last Friday, pending a court hearing scheduled for Thursday. During a brief session on Tuesday, a Department of Justice attorney confirmed that the administration is complying with the court order while evaluating its legal options.
The GSA letter, signed by Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum, accuses Harvard of violating federal anti-discrimination policies in admissions and hiring practices. It further alleges that the university has failed to adequately protect Jewish students from harassment on campus. These accusations follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision invalidating race-conscious admissions policies, specifically citing Harvard's approach.
The letter instructs federal agencies to provide a list of all contract cancellations by June 6. It also outlines plans to reallocate contracts deemed essential to other vendors to ensure continuity of services.
Harvard University has yet to publicly respond to the latest directive. However, it has filed a lawsuit challenging the administration's previous actions, arguing that the federal government is circumventing due process and infringing on the university's First Amendment rights by attempting to exert control over its academic and administrative operations.
In an interview released Tuesday by NPR, Harvard President Alan Garber criticized the administration’s actions, describing the termination of grant funding as "perplexing." He emphasized Harvard’s long-standing mission of serving the nation and expressed concern about the broader implications of the administration’s decisions.
"As long as there has been a United States of America, Harvard has believed its role is to serve the nation," Garber said.
Source: reuter
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