Federal scrutiny has halted work in an Indiana University biology lab after a professor defended a postdoc who had been deported, according to reporting that says the shutdown affects dozens of researchers. The department chair told The Chronicle that “the damage is significant and mounting,” reflecting the operational fallout from compliance and immigration-related investigations. The incident surfaces a high-impact risk for universities operating research labs: personnel and legal outcomes can translate into immediate disruptions to experimental timelines, grant deliverables, and lab safety workflows. For research administrators and compliance teams, the case spotlights the need for rapid continuity planning—covering staffing gaps, frozen workflows, and communications with affected students and grant partners.