India, May 23 -- Harvard University has taken legal action against the Trump administration, challenging its decision to bar the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students.

The university calls the move unconstitutional retaliation for resisting the White House's political demands. In a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Boston, Harvard argued that the government's action violates the First Amendment and warned it will have an "immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders."

In its lawsuit, Harvard said, "With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard's student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission."

The...