Harvard University was issued a letter on Thursday from a federal task force outlining a series of policy demands tied to nearly $9 billion in federal funding, a university spokesperson confirmed to CNN.
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“Harvard received the letter from the federal task force this afternoon,” the spokesperson said in an email to CNN.
According to The Harvard Crimson and other media outlets, the letter includes several key demands — among them, the dismantling of Harvard’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, and a ban on face coverings during campus protests.
Additional conditions listed include “full cooperation” with the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement, and other federal agencies to ensure compliance, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Crimson.
The letter’s arrival follows Monday’s announcement from the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and the U.S. General Services Administration. The agencies stated they are launching a review of $8.7 billion in grants and over $255 million in contracts connected to Harvard and its affiliates.
This investigation is part of a broader federal push to address rising antisemitism on U.S. college campuses, spurred by high-profile incidents related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
A person walks through Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 7, 2023, amid criticism from Jewish groups over university responses to pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. (REUTERS/Faith Ninivaggi)
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Following the review notice earlier this week, Harvard President Alan Garber warned that losing federal funding could “halt life-saving research and imperil important scientific research and innovation.”
“We fully embrace the critical mission of fighting antisemitism, one of the most dangerous and persistent forms of bigotry,” Garber said in a statement to the Harvard community. He added that Harvard has “strengthened our rules and disciplinary approach” over the last 15 months in response to these issues.
Just days before the review was announced, nearly 800 Harvard faculty members sent a letter to the Harvard Corporation and Board of Overseers, urging the university to resist political pressure from the Trump administration and denounce federal efforts targeting higher education institutions.
“Ongoing attacks on American universities threaten the foundational principles of democracy, including free speech, freedom of association, and academic inquiry,” the letter stated.
A similar federal review is underway at Brown University, where over $500 million in federal funds could be at stake, a White House official told CNN Thursday.
A Brown University spokesperson responded to CNN, saying the university “had no information to substantiate this.”
Columbia University was the first school to face funding cuts — totaling $400 million — after President Trump threatened to revoke funding from institutions accused of permitting antisemitism in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023. Columbia has consistently reiterated that it does not tolerate antisemitism.
In late March, Columbia implemented significant policy changes, signaling a response to federal funding cuts imposed by the Trump administration due to campus protest concerns.
Earlier this year, the administration also froze $175 million in federal funds to the University of Pennsylvania and placed over $9 billion in grants and contracts under review at Harvard.