US judge blocks Trump administration’s move to revoke Harvard’s international student enrolment rights
Harvard filed a lawsuit in federal court in Boston, calling the revocation a “blatant violation” of the US Constitution and other federal laws
A US judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke Harvard University’s authorisation to enroll international students.
Earlier, Harvard filed a lawsuit in federal court in Boston, denouncing the revocation as a “blatant violation” of the US Constitution and other federal laws, and warning that it would have an “immediate and devastating effect” on the university and more than 7,000 visa holders.
“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,” Harvard argued in its complaint. “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” it added.
US district judge Allison Burroughs, appointed by former President Barack Obama, granted a temporary restraining order that freezes the policy while the case proceeds.
Trump targets Harvard in wider crackdown on dissenting institutions
The revocation move was part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump to align American institutions with his agenda, including efforts to deport foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, penalise law firms whose attorneys opposed his policies, and even suggest impeaching judges whose rulings he disliked.
Harvard has long pushed back against the Trump administration. The university previously sued the federal government to recover nearly $3 billion in federal grants that had been withheld or cancelled. Other prominent law firms, such as WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey, have also taken legal action against similar federal interventions.
Before Friday’s ruling, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson dismissed Harvard’s legal challenge. “If only Harvard cared this much about ending the scourge of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators on their campus they wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with,” she said.
“Harvard should spend their time and resources on creating a safe campus environment instead of filing frivolous lawsuits.”
The decision to terminate Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, effective in the 2025–2026 academic year, was formally announced by homeland security secretary Kristi Noem.
Columbia complies with Trump demands, revises courses after funding threat
Some institutions have complied with White House demands. Columbia University, for example, agreed to revise its disciplinary processes and Middle East course offerings after Trump withheld $400 million in funding over allegations of insufficient action on antisemitism. Several law firms, including Paul, Weiss and Skadden Arps, agreed to provide pro bono legal services for causes supported by Trump.
In a letter to Harvard, Noem claimed the university had “created a hostile learning environment for Jewish students” and failed to condemn antisemitism. She further alleged that Harvard was “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.”
As a condition for reversing the revocation, Noem demanded that Harvard submit, within 72 hours, comprehensive records about international students, including video and audio evidence of protest activity over the past five years.
Harvard firmly rejected the government's rationale. “Homeland Security’s justification is the quintessence of arbitrariness,” the university said in its complaint.
With Reuters inputs
