A federal judge halted Donald Trump’s administration on Monday, blocking its effort to stop foreign students from enrolling at Harvard University.
In Boston, US District Judge Allison Burroughs issued an injunction preventing the administration from enforcing Trump’s latest plan to restrict Harvard’s enrollment of international students, marking another chapter in the escalating legal showdown between the White House and the elite Ivy League university.
This ruling extends a temporary order she issued earlier in June, which paused enforcement of a presidential proclamation signed by Trump just one day before. The proclamation was justified by citing supposed national security risks, claiming Harvard was no longer a safe place to admit foreign students.
According to Trump’s proclamation, foreign nationals would be barred from coming to the US to study at Harvard or join exchange visitor programs for six months. The order also tasked Senator Marco Rubio with evaluating whether visas held by current international students should be revoked.
Last academic year, Harvard hosted close to 6,800 international students, which represents about 27% of its entire student body in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Before this, the Trump administration had already frozen billions in funding to Harvard, threatened to strip its tax-exempt status, and launched several investigations into the university.
On Friday, Trump mentioned that the administration might soon announce an agreement with Harvard “within the next week or so” to settle the ongoing dispute, which has already resulted in court battles.
Harvard argues that the administration’s actions are retaliatory and violate the university’s First Amendment rights, accusing Trump’s team of trying to control the school’s leadership, curriculum, and the political beliefs of its faculty and students.
The university has filed two separate lawsuits before Judge Burroughs: one aimed at unfreezing approximately $2.5 billion in funding, and another to block restrictions on foreign students attending Harvard.
The second lawsuit came after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem abruptly revoked Harvard’s certification to enroll foreign students on May 22.
Noem accused Harvard—without evidence—of encouraging violence, antisemitism, and collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party.
Judge Burroughs quickly blocked this action. Though the Department of Homeland Security shifted to a longer administrative review process, Burroughs made clear at a May 29 hearing that she intended to maintain the current situation, officially issuing an injunction on Friday.
A week after that hearing, Trump issued his proclamation citing concerns about Harvard accepting foreign funding, including from China, and criticizing what his administration called the university’s failure to adequately respond to demands for information about foreign students.
The administration has also accused Harvard of creating an unsafe environment for Jewish students and tolerating antisemitism on campus. The conflict over Israel’s military actions in Gaza has sparked protests on many US campuses, including Harvard.
Civil rights groups warn that both antisemitism and Islamophobia are rising in the US due to the war, but the Trump administration has yet to take any action addressing anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate.
Harvard’s own task forces on antisemitism and Islamophobia released reports last April revealing widespread fear and discrimination within the university community.
Discription:
"A federal judge blocks Trump administration’s attempt to ban international students from Harvard University amid a heated legal battle over funding, national security claims, and free speech rights. Discover the latest updates on the injunction protecting Harvard’s ability to host thousands of foreign students and the ongoing clash between the White House and the Ivy League institution."