Harvard President Alan Garber said the Trump administration is acting unlawfully in a Monday letter that also acknowledged the university and government share a priority in squashing antisemitism. Why it matters: The Ivy League school continues to defend itself in the back-and-forth with Education Secretary Linda McMahon over federal funding and control over the institution.

F ederal pressure on Harvard University is entering a decisive new phase. On Monday, the Trump Administration announced it would block the country’s oldest university from receiving any new federal research grants, signaling a sharp escalation in its campaign to remake higher education and isolate institutions that resist.