The Trump administration announced two new investigations against Harvard University. File photo by CJ Gunther/EPA
The Department of Education launched two new investigations into Harvard University in its ongoing legal battle with the school.
The Education Department announced the probes on Monday, alleging that Harvard uses affirmative action in its admissions in spite of the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling against it. It alleged that Harvard is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for using race in admission.
The department also issued a Letter of Impending Enforcement Action because Harvard has refused to hand over admissions data to the administration. It said the university has 20 days to comply or “face enforcement actions.”
“Harvard University should know better. Its name will always be tied to the landmark Supreme Court case that found sweeping racial discrimination in admissions, and the campus has been in the spotlight for tolerating egregious antisemitic harassment for years now. [The Office for Civil Rights] will investigate these complaints thoroughly,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.
“No one — not even Harvard — is above the law,” she said. “If Harvard continues to stonewall as we try to verify its basic compliance with antidiscrimination statutes, we will vigorously hold them to account to ensure students’ rights are protected.”
The administration has actively targeted Harvard since Trump took office in 2025. Trump’s official objection to the university is that he says the school failed to protect Jewish students during protests against Israel during the war with Hamas that began in 2023.
In February, the Justice Department sued Harvard for failing to turn over admissions documents for a probe into whether its admissions discriminate against white people. Earlier in February, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon would end its academic partnership with Harvard over what he called a “woke” institution that is not welcoming to the U.S. military.
On Feb. 3, Trump said he was now seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard but didn’t explain why.
“We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University,” Trump said on Truth Social.
On Dec. 19, the administration filed an appeal against a judge who blocked his order to cut funding by $2 billion.
Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton told The New York Times that the university was “reviewing the U.S. Department of Education’s latest actions, which represent the government’s latest retaliatory actions against Harvard for its refusal to surrender our independence and constitutional rights.”
Harvard officials have said they are complying with the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The university has admitted its own errors in its responses to anti-Semitism and made changes before Trump returned to the White House. Jewish students and faculty members have said in recent months that the campus atmosphere has improved, The New York Times reported. Some have said they’re skeptical that Trump’s push against antisemitism is about protecting Jews.
This week in Washington
President Donald Trump presents the Commander in Chief’s Trophy to the Navy Midshipmen football team during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Friday. The award is presented annually to the winner of the football competition between the Navy, Air Force and Army. Navy has won the trophy back to back years and 13 times over the last 23 years. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
