Dozens of institutions and associations argue that Trump’s funding freeze is about more than just one university—it’s about the future of American democracy. Pushback to the Trump administration’s attack on Harvard University is growing as more than 50 colleges, academic associations and First Amendment advocacy groups publicly backed the university in court this week. And while each coalition or group made its own argument in filings against the unprecedented research funding cuts, which are the focus of the lawsuit, legal experts say there’s one motive they all share.