Meet Allison D Burroughs, judge who blocked Trump's SEVP action against Harvard
US District Judge Allison Dale Burroughs on Friday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a ban on international students at Harvard University
US District Judge Allison Dale Burroughs on Friday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a ban on international students at Harvard University by suspending the school's SEVP certification. She ruled that the government can’t enforce the ban, which it imposed the day before.
Judge Allison Burroughs temporarily blocked Trump's action against Harvard (X)
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The Obama-appointed judge's ruling came hours after Harvard sued the government in a Boston federal court. Burroughs has granted the university a temporary restraining order, finding that it would sustain “immediate and irreparable injury” if the Department of Homeland Security directive went into effect.
This means Harvard will not be forced to stop enrolling international students immediately. The TRO will remain in place until the court rules on Harvard’s request for a longer-lasting injunction. A hearing on that request is set for May 29.
Allison Dale Burroughs is a US District Judge for the District of Massachusetts, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2014 and confirmed in January 2015. Born in Boston in 1961, she graduated cum laude from Middlebury College (BA, 1983) and the University of Pennsylvania Law School (JD, 1988).
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Allison Dale Burroughs is a US District Judge for the District of Massachusetts, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2014 and confirmed in January 2015. Born in Boston in 1961, she graduated cum laude from Middlebury College (BA, 1983) and the University of Pennsylvania Law School (JD, 1988).
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Her legal career spans clerking for Judge Norma Shapiro (1988–89), serving as an Assistant US Attorney in Pennsylvania (1989–95) and Massachusetts (1995–2005), and practicing as a partner at Nutter McClennen & Fish (2005–14), where she handled complex criminal and civil cases.
In 2017, she issued a TRO against Trump’s Executive Order 13769, blocking the removal of travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries, turning Boston Logan Airport into a safe haven. She also presided over a Harvard-MIT lawsuit challenging an ICE rule requiring international students to leave the US if taking online-only classes during COVID-19.
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.
Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.
Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.
Home/World News/Us News/Meet Allison D Burroughs, judge who blocked Trump's SEVP action against Harvard
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