Topline
A federal judge said Thursday she will indefinitely block the Trump administration from banning Harvard University from enrolling international students, multiple outlets reported, one week after the administration announced it would revoke Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification.
Students cheer during Harvard University’s commencement ceremonies, Thursday, May 29, 2025 in … More Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Key Facts
U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs said in court Thursday she wants to issue a preliminary injunction “to maintain the status quo” and allow Harvard to continue enrolling international students using visas, CNN reported.
Ahead of Thursday’s hearing, the Trump administration told Harvard it had 30 days to show why the school should not be barred from enrolling international students—marking a shift from the Department of Homeland Security’s initial announcement, which said the revocation would take effect immediately.
Last week after Harvard sued the Trump administration over its attempt to stop the school from enrolling international students, Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order against the administration’s plan.
Key Background
The Trump administration announced last week it would remove Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students, escalating the government’s ongoing feud with the university. In a press release announcing the change, Noem said Harvard’s “leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals,” and she alleged “many of these agitators are foreign students.” Harvard’s battle with President Donald Trump and his administration first escalated in April after the government alleged Harvard was failing “to live up to both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment” and demanded the university make changes to its admissions and operations processes. Harvard said it could not “allow itself to be taken over by the federal government” and would not “accept the government’s terms as an agreement in principle.” After Harvard’s response, the administration froze billions of dollars in federal grants and the school sued, alleging the funding freeze was “beyond the government’s authority.”
What To Watch For
Harvard’s response to DHS’ notice that it intends to suspend its student visa program. In the letter informing Harvard it has 30 days to respond, DHS said Harvard must provide “any sworn statements, documents, or other evidence on which the school relies to rebut the alleged grounds for withdrawal.” In a post on X that included the letter sent to Harvard, Noem said, “We continue to reject Harvard’s repeated pattern of endangering its students and spreading American hate—it must change its ways in order to participate in American programs.”
Tangent
Harvard’s 347th commencement ceremony took place Thursday morning, and the university said it expected to celebrate almost 9,000 degree candidates. The New York Times reported “a murmur went through the crowd … followed by some sporadic cheers, as students and families” learned of the judge saying she would block the government’s effort to stop international students from enrolling.
Big Number
6,793. That’s how many international students were enrolled at Harvard this past academic year. The nearly 7,000 students represent about 27% of its student body.
Further Reading
Live updates: Harvard graduation, Trump admin international student ban case hearing (CNN)
Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Banning International Students At Harvard (Forbes)
Harvard Barred From Enrolling International Students By Trump Administration (Forbes)