Over 100 universities, colleges jointly criticize Trump administration's 'political interference'

Over 100 U.S. universities and colleges, including Harvard, Princeton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Pennsylvania, Brown, and Cornell issued a joint letter Tuesday condemning President Donald Trump administration's "political interference" in the nation's education system.

"We speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education," the letter read.

"We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight. However, we must oppose undue government intrusion," the letter said. "We must reject the coercive use of public research funding."

The join letter came one day after Harvard University said that it has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration's funding freeze, calling the action "unlawful and beyond the government's authority."

In a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the university said that this case involves "the government's efforts to use the withholding of federal funding as leverage to gain control of academic decision making at Harvard."

On April 11, Trump administration officials sent a letter to Harvard, demanding that the university make "meaningful governance reform and restructuring," noting that "an investment is not an entitlement."

On April 14, Harvard University rejected the Trump administration's demands to make sweeping changes to its governance, hiring and admissions practices. Just a few hours later, the Trump administration announced a freeze on 2.2 billion dollars in multi-year grants and 60 million in multi-year contract value to the university.

On April 16, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanded that Harvard University share information about the foreign student visa holders' illegal and violent activities by April 30, or risk losing its authorization to enroll international students.

The administration has also announced that it is considering a revocation of Harvard's tax-exempt status.

Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has issued warnings to several top U.S. universities, stating that they could face funding cuts if they do not adjust their policies.

The administration's main demands include eliminating what it describes as antisemitism on campus and dismantling diversity initiatives that favor certain minority groups.

Against the backdrop of the Israel-Palestine conflict, many universities across the United States saw a wave of pro-Palestinian protests last year, drawing increased government attention to alleged anti-Semitic sentiments on campuses.