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

This week, a federal judge sided with Harvard in one of its two lawsuits, blocking an order by President Trump to prevent international students from enrolling.

In its campaign to pressure elite US colleges to make a wide range of policy changes, the administration of President Donald Trump has come down hardest on Harvard University.