"Over the course of the past week, the federal government has taken several actions following Harvard’s refusal to comply with its illegal demands," President Alan Garber said in a statement.
"Moments ago, we filed a lawsuit to halt the funding freeze because it is unlawful and beyond the government’s authority," Garber added.
According to the lawsuit, the Trump administration is accused of being "unlawful" since it violates First Amendment rights, but also federal laws and regulations.
"The Government wielded the threat of withholding federal funds in an attempt to coerce Harvard to conform with the Government’s preferred mix of viewpoints and ideologies," it said.
The school is the first major university to openly defy the administration’s directives, which Trump officials said are to combat antisemitism following campus protests concerning Israel's brutal war in the Gaza Strip.
The administration is also targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, which it called “illegal and immoral discrimination.”
While the Trump administration claims its aim is to combat antisemitism, Garber said he, as a Jew and an American, knows "very well" that there are "valid concerns" about rising antisemitism.
"Harvard takes that work seriously. We will continue to fight hate with the urgency....Before taking punitive action, the law requires that the federal government engage with us about the ways we are fighting and will continue to fight antisemitism," he added.
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