Federal judge halts Trump’s attempt to bar foreign students from Harvard
A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s latest efforts to prevent new international students from enrolling at Harvard University. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued the ruling late Thursday, June 5, citing the risk of “immediate and irreparable injury” to the school and its students.
A hearing is scheduled for June 16.
It’s the latest legal development in an ongoing fight over Trump’s attempts to restrict foreign student access to the Ivy League institution. Trump’s foreign student visas proclamation marked the third such attempt in recent months, but the first to rely solely on presidential authority.
Burroughs also extended an earlier injunction that had blocked the Department of Homeland Security from revoking Harvard’s visa program.
What does Trump’s proclamation say?
Trump’s proclamation cited national security concerns and accused Harvard of failing to comply with federal requests for information about foreign students. The White House claimed Harvard withheld data on illegal or violent activity and has financial ties to foreign governments, including China.
The proclamation suspended the issuance of new student and exchange visitor visas for individuals intending to attend Harvard and authorized Secretary of State Marco Rubio to evaluate whether to revoke existing visas.
The administration argued that Harvard’s actions undermined federal oversight of student visa programs. It also referenced rising campus crime and alleged civil rights violations as justification.
How is Harvard responding?
Harvard denies any wrongdoing and accuses the White House of retaliating against the university for resisting political pressure. In an amended lawsuit filed Thursday, the university said the White House was attempting to bypass earlier court decisions and penalize the school for exercising its First Amendment rights.
“Both actions are designed to prevent Harvard’s international students from attending Harvard, and they fundamentally alter the education that Harvard endeavors to provide to all its students — including domestic students — as it prepares them to contribute to and lead in our global society,” the university wrote in a legal brief.
Harvard President Alan Garber established contingency plans to support international students and warned of broader consequences if the Trump administration enforces the proclamation.
What’s next in the legal fight?
Burroughs’s order temporarily halts enforcement of the proclamation while legal arguments proceed. The university has expanded its lawsuit, challenging the administration’s actions under the First Amendment and immigration law.
Meanwhile, Harvard estimates that visa revocations could affect more than 7,000 international students and recent graduates.
The White House has not commented on the ruling.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
