Federal judge temporarily halts Trump administration's ban on international student enrollment at Harvard

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration measure barring Harvard University from enrolling international students, in a ruling that highlights tensions between the institution and the government.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued the order Friday, hours after Harvard filed a lawsuit in response to the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) revocation of its Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification.

The DHS decision, announced Thursday, eliminated Harvard's ability to admit international students, affecting a quarter of its student body.

However, according to the complaint filed by the university, this action was in direct retaliation for Harvard's rejection of the government's policy demands, which included control over the university's governance, its curriculum and the "ideology" of its faculty and students.

The lawsuit contends that the move violates the law and represents an attack on the institution's First Amendment rights.

In that regard, Judge Burroughs, appointed by former President Barack Obama, determined that Harvard would "sustain immediate and irreparable injury" if the ban went into effect before the court could review the case.

Accordingly, it issued a temporary restraining order to stay the government's action.

Next steps

A remote conference is scheduled for Tuesday, followed by a hearing Thursday in federal court in Boston, where the possibility of issuing a preliminary injunction that would block the measure until the lawsuit is resolved will be discussed.

The ruling coincides with Harvard's graduation ceremony, where many international students will celebrate their degrees.

The Trump administration has also demanded that Harvard and other universities comply with requirements such as turning over student disciplinary records and eliminating equity initiatives, demands the university considers ideologically motivated.

Harvard's president, Alan Garber, vowed to stand up for the university's international students.

In a message to the Harvard community, he declared, "You are our classmates and friends, our colleagues and mentors, our partners in the work of this great institution. Thanks to you, we know more and understand more, and our country and our world are more enlightened and more resilient. We will support you as we do our utmost to ensure that Harvard remains open to the world.”

This case is in addition to another legal dispute between Harvard and the Republican Administration, as Judge Burroughs is also reportedly considering a separate lawsuit over the freezing of $2.65 billion in federal funding for the university.