Boston, Sept 4: In a major win for Harvard University, a federal judge overturned the Trump administration’s $2.6 billion cuts to its research grants. US District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled the cuts were “illegal retaliation” after Harvard rejected White House demands on governance and policy changes.

The court said the administration used antisemitism concerns as a “smokescreen” to target the Ivy League school. The ruling revives hundreds of federally funded research projects at Harvard, though the government is expected to appeal.