Harvard University announced it's implementing a hiring freeze due to the "substantial financial uncertainties" after the Trump administration stripped $400 million from Columbia University, the Boston Herald reported.

"Effective immediately, Harvard will implement a temporary pause on staff and faculty hiring across the University," school officials told colleagues in a letter on Monday.

The college cited the "rapidly shifting federal policies" from the Trump administration as the reason for the pause.

"Universities throughout the nation," the letter from Harvard officials added, "face substantial financial uncertainties driven by rapidly shifting federal policies. We need to prepare for a wide range of financial circumstances, and strategic adjustments will take time to identify and implement. Consequently, it is imperative to limit significant new long-term commitments that would increase our financial exposure and make further adjustments more disruptive."

The hiring freeze is said to remain throughout the spring semester.

The school officials said they "are also asking the leadership of Schools and administrative units to scrutinize discretionary and non-salary spending, reassess the scope and timing of capital renewal projects, and conduct a rigorous review of any new multi-year commitments."

The Department of Education wrote on Friday that $400 million in federal contracts to Columbia University would be canceled due to the school's "continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students."

This was among the first actions of the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, a commission formed under the Department of Justice in February.

On March 3, the Task Force informed Columbia University's acting president it would conduct a review of the college's federal contracts and grants. This action is in response to ongoing investigations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

Days after the Task Force's note to Columbia, feds reported that there was antisemitic harassment at the college.

"Since October 7," Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement, "Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses — only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them. Universities must comply with all federal anti-discrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding."

McMahon added, "For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus. Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer."

Additionally, President Donald Trump has said that any college or university allowing "illegal protests" and failing to protect students from antisemitic harassment would lose federal funding.

Leo Terrell, the senior counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights and head of the DOJ Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, commented: "Freezing the funds is one of the tools we are using to respond to this spike in anti-Semitism. This is only the beginning. Canceling these taxpayer funds is our strongest signal yet that the Federal Government is not going to be party to an educational institution like Columbia that does not protect Jewish students and staff."

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