Harvard alleges that the administration is violating the First Amendment, while the administration says the case was brought in the wrong court.
Harvard University and the Trump administration faced off in court as each sought to convince a judge in the ongoing battle over billions of dollars in funding for the school.
The July 21 hearing came after months of litigation in which Harvard alleged that the government was violating its First Amendment rights by using federal funds as a punishment for not complying with demands for a series of changes at the school.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs previously blocked the administration, but in a more preliminary posture. The more recent hearing came after Harvard filed a motion for summary judgment, which would include permanently blocking the administration’s defunding effort.
In court, the Justice Department argued that the government was well within its rights to terminate funding streams to Harvard. The university, it also said, brought the case in a federal district court when it should have brought it in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, which typically handles contract-related disputes.
This is a developing news story and will be updated.
By Sam Dorman
