Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford has announced his participation in a coalition of 21 attorneys general who have filed an amicus brief in support of Harvard University. The brief, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, backs Harvard’s motion for summary judgment against federal agencies over the cancellation of more than $2 billion in federal funding.
AG Ford criticized the funding freeze as “a destructive attempt to hobble one of our nation’s premier learning institutions” and expressed concern about its implications for higher education nationwide, including Nevada. He stated, “For the sake of higher education around the country and right here in Nevada, I cannot sit idly by while this attack continues.”
The brief argues that the administration’s actions could negatively impact state economies if similar measures were taken against other research institutions. It highlights that university research spending contributes significantly to local economies; for instance, research at UNR added $194.1 million to Nevada’s economy in fiscal year 2024.
Additionally, AG Ford and other states warned that such targeting could lead to losses in opportunity and training for researchers, a potential “brain drain,” harm to intellectual property and business development, and adverse effects on local and state economies.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell led the submission of this brief with AG Ford. Other states involved include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
