Harvard University graduates attend the 374th Commencement Ceremony on May 29, 2025 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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The Trump administration on Friday sued Harvard University, accusing it of failing to respond to a federal investigation and seeking documents to determine whether the school illegally considered race in its admissions process.
The move comes less than two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was seeking $1 billion from Harvard University to resolve an investigation into its school policies, following reports that the president had dropped demands for payments from the Ivy League school.
Representatives from Harvard University did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Trump administration has threatened to withhold federal funding from Harvard University and several other universities over issues such as pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, campus diversity and transgender policies.
The Department of Justice announced in a press release Friday that Harvard University “repeatedly slowed production and refused to provide related data and documents,” including its admissions policies and responses related to prohibited diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
In a complaint filed in Boston federal court, Justice Department lawyers said the requested documents will help them assess whether Harvard is complying with a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found race-based college admissions programs unconstitutional.
The Justice Department said the lawsuit is “solely to compel Harvard University to provide documentation regarding racial considerations in admissions” and “does not accuse Harvard of discrimination, nor does it seek monetary damages or the revocation of federal funding.”
Last year, the administration sought to rescind hundreds of grants given to Harvard researchers, citing Harvard’s failure to adequately address harassment of Jewish students on campus, and Harvard filed a lawsuit.
President Trump’s attempt to freeze federal funding to Harvard University has faced legal resistance, and so far the two sides have not been able to reach an agreement.
