In an escalation of the back-and-forth between Harvard University and the Trump administration, the school has filed a lawsuit against the federal government. In it, Harvard argues the government's actions, including freezing more than $2.2 billion in federal funding, violate the First Amendment and don't follow legal procedures.
"The consequences of the government's overreach will be severe and long-lasting," reads a letter by Alan M. Garber, Harvard's president, announcing the lawsuit. He goes on to detail the type of research the government has "put in jeopardy," including efforts studying child cancer survivors, predicting the spread of infectious disease outbreaks and easing the pain of wounded soldiers.
"Defendants' actions threaten Harvard's academic independence and place at risk critical lifesaving and pathbreaking research that occurs on its campus," the lawsuit reads.
The Trump administration accuses Harvard of failing to protect Jewish students. After Harvard refused to comply with a list of demands from the administration, the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced it was freezing funds.
In a private group chat in June, dozens of Democratic political influencers discussed whether to take...
