The Justice Department filed suit against Harvard, alleging the university has stalled or withheld documents in a federal probe of its admissions practices. The complaint argues Harvard refused to produce applicant-level records that federal investigators say are necessary to determine whether race factors in current admissions decisions. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon is named in DOJ statements demanding compliance; Harvard denies wrongdoing and says it has cooperated with inquiries. The suit seeks judicial compulsion rather than damages or funding cuts, but DOJ officials warned that refusal to cooperate could prompt further enforcement. The filing follows a yearlong clash between the administration and elite institutions over admissions transparency and federal civil‑rights enforcement. Legal scholars say the outcome could shape how colleges document race-conscious admissions and respond to federal oversight requests. For campus leaders the case raises immediate governance questions: how to preserve applicant confidentiality while meeting federal subpoenas, and how far institutions must go to demonstrate compliance. Litigation timelines are likely to stretch into the coming academic year, heightening uncertainty for admissions offices and trustees.