The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), an agency of President Donald Trump’s administration, announced this Friday (13) that it has filed a lawsuit against Harvard University.
The ministry said in a statement that it is accusing the Massachusetts higher education institution of failing to provide the government with “information necessary to determine whether Harvard continues to discriminate in its admissions process” for students.
“The lawsuit alleges that Harvard repeatedly delayed the process and refused to provide pertinent data and documents requested by the DOJ, including individualized applicant admissions data, admissions policies and correspondence related to race, ethnicity, diversity, equity and inclusion, and the organization Students for Fair Admissions,” the DOJ said in the note.
Previously, the Trump administration had accused the university of discriminating against white and Asian students in its admissions processes.
Earlier this month, the Republican president said he was demanding a $1 billion payment from Harvard to end DOJ investigations into the university’s policies.
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has taken action against Harvard and other American universities, accusing them of discrimination (alleging, among other things, that they did not take action against anti-Semitism on their campuses).
In the case of Harvard, the American president tried to withhold federal funds from the university and prevent it from enrolling foreign students, but the institution obtained injunctions to reverse these measures. The university has not yet commented on the process announced today by the DOJ.
