Harvard University wins legal victory against Donald Trump

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 .

A strong supporter of Israel, the president also accuses Harvard of failing to adequately protect its Jewish or Israeli students during campus protests for 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.

"Targeted and ideological attack"

A Boston judge, seized by the university, "cancelled and set aside" the administration's freezing decisions, which constitute a " violation of the First Amendment " of the Constitution, according to the text of her order.

She notes 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 dealt with this problem better."

But in reality, "there is little connection between the research areas affected by funding freezes and anti-Semitism."

She accuses the administration of having "used anti-Semitism as a smokescreen to carry out a targeted and ideologically motivated attack on the country's most prestigious universities."

Harvard President Alan Garber stressed that the decision validated the university's "case for academic freedom."

"This activist judge appointed by Obama 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 amicable financial settlement with the university.

"People often settle disagreements amicably for various reasons, even if they think they are completely right," he explained to AFP.

"National security"

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."

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 grant 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, to respect the law and to provide a safe environment for all students," the head of diplomacy said in a statement.