Federal judge blocks Trump admin’s ban on Harvard enrolling international students

A federal judge has issued a temporary halt to the Trump administration’s move to bar Harvard University from enrolling international students.

According to a CNN report, US District Court Judge Allison Burroughs handed down the ruling just hours after Harvard filed a lawsuit on Friday, claiming the revocation of its certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme was a form of “clear retaliation” for the university’s rejection of ideologically driven policy demands by the government.

Judge Burroughs is also overseeing a separate case in which Harvard is challenging the administration’s freeze of $2.65 billion in federal funding.

Harvard’s latest legal filing contends that the Department of Homeland Security’s decision on Thursday to remove the university from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) system is unlawful.

“It is the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government’s demands to control Harvard’s governance, curriculum, and the ‘ideology’ of its faculty and students,” the complaint states.

In her order, Judge Burroughs, an Obama appointee, said that Harvard had demonstrated “it will sustain immediate and irreparable injury” if the government were permitted to revoke its certification before the court could fully review the case.

A remote hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, followed by in-person arguments on Thursday at the federal courthouse in Boston, where the judge will consider whether to issue a preliminary injunction to block the administration’s action while the lawsuit proceeds.

Earlier, the White House doubled down on its stance taken against Harvard, calling lawsuit ‘frivolous’

“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,” Reuters quoted White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson as saying.

“Harvard should spend their time and resources on creating a safe campus environment instead of filing frivolous lawsuits,” she added.

The Trump administration’s move to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students appeared to be a pointed reprisal against the prestigious institution for resisting White House policy directives.

The administration’s demands, seen as politically driven, included surrendering student disciplinary records and dismantling equity programmes, similar to requirements imposed on other US. colleges

“Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,” CNN quoted the US Department of Homeland Security as saying in a statement.

“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body,” said the Harvard’s lawsuit.

Harvard President Alan Garber assured the university community that the institution would stand by its international students and continue to fight on their behalf.

“You are our classmates and friends, our colleagues and mentors, our partners in the work of this great institution,” CNN quoted Garber as saying in a statement on Friday.

“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,” he added.

Harvard’s new lawsuit was filed against the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice and State, as well as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Harvard is already engaged in a separate legal battle with the White House over the recent freeze of $2.65 billion in federal grants and contracts.

That case, also assigned to Judge Allison Burroughs, has not yet resulted in an immediate injunction, as the university opted not to seek one. As a result, the freeze is expected to remain in effect at least until late July, when both parties are scheduled to present their arguments in court.

With inputs from agencies