A federal judge has halted the Trump administration’s attempts to prevent international students from attending Harvard University. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled that Harvard can continue hosting foreign students while the legal battle unfolds.
The dispute began when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program on May 22. This move threatened the status of approximately 7,000 international students, forcing them to either transfer to other institutions or risk violating their visa conditions.
Harvard challenged the revocation, labeling it as illegal retaliation against the university for not complying with the administration’s demands to change its policies on campus protests, admissions, hiring, and other issues. Judge Burroughs promptly issued a temporary halt to the government’s action shortly after Harvard filed the lawsuit.
In early June, President Donald Trump introduced additional measures to block international students from entering the United States to attend Harvard, citing different legal grounds. Harvard contested these measures as well, and Judge Burroughs once again temporarily blocked the effort.
The ongoing legal tussle reflects broader tensions between the Trump administration and academic institutions over immigration and educational policies. The administration has previously taken actions such as cutting research grants and ending federal contracts in response to policy disagreements with universities.
For now, international students at Harvard can continue their studies without disruption as the court proceedings continue.
