US Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Thursday that negotiations between the federal government and Harvard University are nearing completion, as both sides work to resolve investigations and restore nearly $3 billion in frozen research grants.
“They’re ongoing negotiations and I feel very comfortable that we are getting close to having those negotiations finalized,” McMahon said during a White House press briefing, according to the Boston Globe. “It’s been an open-door conversation all along.”
The Trump administration has taken several steps against Harvard University in the wake of its failure to handle growing antisemitism on campus, including a freeze of more than $2 billion in federal research funding.
In addition to the funding cuts, President Donald Trump also advocated for revoking the university's tax-exempt status.
Harvard responded by suing the administration, arguing the freeze was unconstitutional and an abuse of executive power. University officials claimed they had taken steps to combat antisemitism on the Cambridge campus.
In September, US District Judge Allison D. Burroughs ruled that the administration violated Harvard’s First Amendment and due process rights by canceling the grants wholesale after Harvard refused to comply with federal demands.
Last month, Trump announced that Harvard University had agreed to pay $500 million and operate trade schools as part of a deal with the administration.
Harvard officials have not yet commented on Thursday’s report.