The Trump administration filed an appeal with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seeking to overturn a federal judge’s order that blocked its effort to freeze roughly $2.2 billion in Harvard research funding. The appeal follows U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs’ ruling that the government acted unlawfully and violated Harvard’s First Amendment and administrative-procedure protections when targeting grants. The legal battle began after the administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism reviewed Harvard grants and sought policy changes tied to campus protests. Harvard said the district court’s decision restored critical research funding; the administration said Harvard had failed to protect students and pledged to continue its challenge. The appeal keeps a major research-university funding dispute alive and raises stakes for federal oversight of campus speech and safety policies. The case will determine whether the executive branch can condition research funding based on allegations of campus misconduct without following established regulatory processes — a decision that could affect grant stability across leading research institutions.