Harvard University sued on Monday to block U.S. President Donald Trump from freezing billions of dollars in federal funding after the elite research institution rejected a list of White House demands that it said would undermine its independence.

The university called the funding freeze "unlawful and beyond the government’s authority" and warned of severe and long-lasting consequences.

Harvard’s lawsuit comes after the administration sought to force the university to comply with a list of demands by cutting billions in federal funding the school receives.