A U.S. district judge, Allison Burroughs, has issued a temporary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s move to ban Harvard University from enrolling foreign students.
The ruling comes after Harvard filed a lawsuit in response to the administration’s decision, escalating tensions between the White House and one of America’s most prestigious academic institutions, according to the BBC.
The Trump administration had accused Harvard of failing to adequately address antisemitism on campus and of resisting reforms in hiring and admissions practices—allegations the university strongly refuted in its legal complaint.
The injunction, issued Friday in a brief court order, halts a decision made Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security, which sought to revoke Harvard’s access to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
Harvard currently enrolls approximately 6,800 international students, making up over 27% of this year’s student body.
“With a single stroke of the pen, the government tried to erase a quarter of Harvard’s students—foreign nationals who meaningfully contribute to the university’s mission,” the university stated in its lawsuit.
White House deputy spokesperson Abigail Jackson criticized the ruling, stating that Harvard would not be facing this legal conflict if it had addressed what she called a “plague of anti-American, antisemitic, and terrorist agitators” on campus.
“Harvard should focus its time and resources on creating a safe environment on campus instead of filing frivolous lawsuits,” Jackson said.
The case highlights the broader legal and political battles surrounding academic freedom, immigration policy, and campus speech in the U.S.
