1. Harvard & MIT v. ICE (2020) — Immigration & Student Visas
- Issue: The Trump administration announced that international students could lose their visas if their classes were entirely online due to COVID-19.
- Action: Harvard and MIT sued the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, arguing that the policy was reckless and illegal.
- Outcome: The federal government rescinded the policy days later, effectively conceding. This was seen as a major win for academic institutions and international students.
2. University of California v. Department of Homeland Security (2017–2020) — DACA
- Issue: The Trump administration tried to end the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program.
- Action: The University of California system, led by then-President Janet Napolitano, sued to block the termination of DACA.
- Outcome: The case reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in 2020 that the Trump administration’s attempt to end DACA was “arbitrary and capricious.” UC won the case.
3. Stanford & Other Universities vs. FBI (1970s) — Surveillance & COINTELPRO
- Issue: During the Cold War and Vietnam War era, federal agencies like the FBI infiltrated and surveilled student protests and university groups.
- Action: Universities including Stanford and others pushed back publicly and legally against FBI overreach.
- Outcome: These efforts helped lead to the Church Committee hearings (1975–76), which exposed and curtailed many abuses of federal surveillance.
4. Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) — University of Michigan Law School
- Issue: The U.S. sued over the university’s use of affirmative action in admissions.
- Action: The University of Michigan defended its admissions practices.
- Outcome: The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the university, saying that race could be considered as part of a holistic admissions process — a landmark win for higher ed.
