A sweeping move by the US Department of Education has seen over $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and an additional $60 million in contracts frozen for Harvard University, amid mounting political pressure from the Trump administration to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programmes.

This follows a list of demands presented to Harvard on Friday, April 11, calling for the university to completely overhaul its governance, admissions, and hiring practices. Among the demands were the elimination of all race-based considerations in hiring and admissions in favour of a “merit-based” model, the auditing of academic departments accused of fuelling anti-Semitism, and the introduction of measures to report students deemed “hostile to American values” to federal authorities. Further proposals included the ideological vetting of international students and a complete dismantling of DEI initiatives, alongside requirements for “viewpoint diversity” in recruitment.

Harvard President Alan Garber issued a strongly worded response, rejecting the demands outright and defending the university’s autonomy and constitutional rights. In a message to students and faculty, Garber described the demands as “unprecedented” and in clear violation of First Amendment protections, arguing they “exceed the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI.” He further stated that Harvard would not “surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” signalling the institution’s intent to challenge any federal overreach.

This situation forms part of a broader trend of escalating pressure on academic institutions by the Trump administration, which has openly sought to roll back DEI policies across the country. Conservative media figures such as Robby Starbuck have led high-profile campaigns against what they describe as “woke” corporate and educational culture. As a result, several major American corporations, including Walmart, Harley-Davidson, and Jack Daniels, have already scaled back or dismantled internal equality initiatives.

Columbia University has already seen $400 million in federal funds withdrawn, while similar actions have affected Cornell and Northwestern universities, with nearly $2 billion in funding suspended between them.

This campaign represents a significant threat to academic freedom, free speech, and institutional independence. The demands to vet students’ political beliefs and censor academic departments strike at the very heart of the values that universities have historically upheld, and Harvard’s defiance against DEI demands may prove a pivotal moment in the defence of those values.