Harvard sued the Trump administration last year for freezing its federal grant money.

Each deal between colleges and the administration is unique, but they have common goals: altering the culture at powerful institutions and making their policies more aligned with President Trump's.

The gates to Columbia’s main campus in Manhattan swung shut more than two years ago to control volatile protests over the war in Gaza. There was a days-long encampment, a building takeover and arrests by police. Now, entry is permitted only to those who hold Columbia identification and their approved guests.

The Trump administration is demanding that universities take greater action to protect Jewish community members, placing federal funding at risk while reviving unresolved constitutional disputes over campus speech,

President Trump fired a new shot in his war with Harvard. But the battleground has changed. After spending most of last year buffeted by Trump’s scrutiny, Harvard has started this year in a stronger position.