A group of 18 leading research universities including Princeton and MIT asked a federal judge for permission to file legal arguments in support of Harvard in its showdown with the Trump

Since its initial criticism of Harvard as a place where antisemitism was condoned or ignored during last spring’s pro-Palestinian protests, the government’s list of complaints about the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university has grown by the day.

The efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration have struck at Harvard's identity and unsettled current and prospect students around the world.