Harvard is suing the Trump administration as the fight continues over institutional oversight, independence and federal funding. The lawsuit comes a day after President Donald Trump threatened to cut another $1 billion in funding.

Tyler Coward, lead counsel of government affairs at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said with the lawsuit this fight just entered a new round.

“Now Harvard is standing up for itself. Taking the administration to court and trying to vindicate its rights,” Coward said.

The Trump administration has withheld government funding from Harvard, Columbia and Cornell, among others, in response to their tolerance of pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Last week, Harvard pushed back, rejecting demands for control of its student body, faculty and curriculum. In response, the administration announced it was freezing more than $2 billion in federal funding.

“There are set legal processes that the administration has to go through, and they just haven’t done so here,” Coward said.

The Wall Street Journal is also reporting that the administration is planning to pull an additional $1 billion in health care funding from the university.

Harvard last week published the demands sent to school leadership by the Trump administration. While that message was not marked confidential, the Trump administration reportedly intended the message to remain private and viewed the move as an escalation of the conflict.

“Once you start cutting important, cutting-edge medical research, I think that a lot of people will be worried,” Coward said of the possible elimination of $1 billion in health care funding.

Madeline Summerville, an attorney and political analyst, says this lawsuit, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, could set a precedent for other institutions.

“I think Harvard understands its position as a leader in this, and so the stance that they’ve taken has been very clear,” Summerville said.

Others will likely end up copying what Harvard does, she said.

“Because of their position, not just within the country, within the world,” Summerville said.

The Trump administration has also threatened to eliminate visas for international students at Harvard and Trump has also suggested he could revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status.

The White House has not yet responded to the lawsuit by Harvard.

Have a news tip? Contact Geoffrey Harris at gmharris@sbgtv.com or at x.com/GeoffHarrisTV.