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Federal judge blocks Trump's move to stop Harvard from hosting international students
US district judge's order allows Harvard University to continue hosting foreign students while the legal case remains under review.
A federal judge on Friday issued a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from preventing Harvard University from hosting international students, Associated Press reported.
The ruling by US district judge Allison Burroughs ensures that Harvard can continue welcoming foreign students while the legal proceedings are ongoing.
The decision marks another legal win for the Ivy League university in its broader fight against several government sanctions imposed by the White House.
Harvard vs Department of Homeland Security
In May, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security after the agency revoked its certification to enrol foreign students and issue visa-related documents.
The move would have forced around 7,000 international students at Harvard to either transfer or risk losing their legal status in the US, while new foreign students would have been prevented from enrolling.
Harvard described the action as unlawful retaliation for its refusal to comply with White House demands to change its policies on campus protests, admissions, faculty hiring, and other internal matters. Judge Allison Burroughs temporarily blocked the measure shortly after the lawsuit was filed.
Less than two weeks later, in early June, President Trump made a separate attempt to prevent foreign students from entering the US to study at Harvard, citing a new legal basis. Harvard contested this move as well, and Burroughs again issued a temporary block.
Why was Trump in a feud with Harvard?
Trump has been engaged in a prolonged conflict with Harvard after the university rejected a series of federal demands aimed at addressing conservative concerns that it had become too liberal and permissive of antisemitic behaviour.
In response, Trump administration officials slashed over $2.6 billion in research funding, cancelled government contracts, and even threatened to strip the university of its tax-exempt status.
In April, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requested a wide range of records from Harvard regarding any potentially dangerous or unlawful actions by foreign students. While Harvard stated it had complied, Noem found the response inadequate and revoked the university’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program on May 22.
According to Harvard’s lawsuit, this penalty immediately damaged the school’s competitiveness in attracting top international students and harmed its global academic reputation. “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” the suit said.
The move also posed a serious threat to graduate programs that rely heavily on international enrollment. In response, some foreign universities, including two in Hong Kong, extended offers to affected Harvard students.
Harvard President Alan Garber has stated the university has taken action to address antisemitism.
However, he emphasised that Harvard will remain committed to its “core, legally-protected principles,” even in the face of federal pressure.
