US Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Attempt to Revoke Harvard’s Foreign Student Enrollment Rights
A US federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s move to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll foreign students, providing relief to the thousands of international students who faced forced transfers under the policy.
Judge Allison Burroughs ruled that Harvard showed sufficient evidence of harm before a full hearing, issuing a two-week injunction. Hearings are scheduled for late May to consider the next steps.
The administration, led by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, announced the termination of Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification for the 2025-2026 academic year, citing allegations that Harvard fosters violence, antisemitism, and improper coordination with the Chinese Communist Party.
Harvard has strongly condemned the decision, calling it a “blatant violation” of constitutional and federal laws and asserting it would have “immediate and devastating” effects on the university and over 7,000 international visa holders—who make up 27% of its student body.
Harvard’s lawsuit argues that the government’s demands, including detailed records of international students’ protest activities over the past five years, are arbitrary and violate the First Amendment by coercing academic institutions to surrender their independence and control over curriculum and faculty.
This dispute reflects the broader Trump administration campaign pressuring institutions—universities, law firms, media, and courts—to align with the administration’s agenda, often through aggressive measures targeting dissenting voices.
While some institutions, like Columbia University, have made concessions to restore federal funding, Harvard has resisted, previously suing to recover billions in frozen federal grants.
A White House spokesperson dismissed Harvard’s lawsuit as “frivolous,” accusing the university of failing to address “anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators” on campus.
Harvard President Claudine Gay reaffirmed the university’s commitment to academic freedom and condemned the government’s “illegal assertion of control” over the institution’s internal affairs.
