Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump after the president’s administration imposed a $2.2 billion federal funding freeze at the institution. According to CNN, Harvard President Alan M. Garber announced the lawsuit in a letter to the school’s community, saying Trump’s actions “have stark real-life consequences for patients, students, faculty, staff, researchers, and the standing of American higher education in the world.”

Why did Donald Trump impose a funding freeze on Harvard?

Trump restricted federal funding for Harvard after claiming that the school is allowing antisemitism on campus as students and faculty speak out for Palestine. However, Harvard resisted, as the administration ordered the school to provide reports of antisemitism on campus. In its lawsuit against the government, the institution said the administration “has ceased the flow of funds to Harvard as part of its pressure campaign to force Harvard to submit to the Government’s control over its academic programs.”

“That, in itself, violates Harvard’s constitutional rights,” the university wrote in the lawsuit. “The Government has not – and cannot – identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation.”

Garber said in his letter that the institution stands against antisemitism, but the government is making irrational decisions against the school.

“Harvard rejects antisemitism and discrimination in all of its forms and is actively making structural reforms to eradicate antisemitism on campus,” the lawsuit states. “But rather than engage with Harvard regarding those ongoing efforts, the Government announced a sweeping freeze of funding for medical, scientific, technological, and other research that has nothing at all to do with antisemitism and Title VI compliance.”

What is Harvard aiming to achieve with its lawsuit against the Trump administration?

Harvard said the goal of its lawsuit is not to recover funding but to prove how the government is violating the school’s First Amendment rights. Per the lawsuit, the school “seeks an order declaring unlawful and setting aside sweeping agency action taken in violation of Harvard’s constitutional rights under the First Amendment and its rights guaranteed by statute and regulation.”