Federal judge extends order blocking Trump administration ban on foreign
students at Harvard
[May 30, 2025]
By MICHAEL CASEY and ANNIE MA
BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday extended an order blocking the
Trump administration’s attempt to bar Harvard University from enrolling
foreign students.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs extended the block she imposed
last week with a temporary restraining order, which allows the Ivy
League school to continue enrolling international students as a lawsuit
proceeds.
Harvard sued the federal government on Friday after Department of
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked its ability to host
foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
"Harvard will continue to take steps to protect the rights of our
international students and scholars, members of our community who are
vital to the University’s academic mission and community — and whose
presence here benefits our country immeasurably,” a university spokesman
said in a statement.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration introduced a new effort to revoke
Harvard's certification to enroll foreign students. In a letter sent by
the acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, Todd Lyons, the
government gave Harvard 30 days to respond to the alleged grounds for
withdrawal, which include accusations that Harvard coordinated with
foreign entities and failed to respond sufficiently to antisemitism on
campus.
The developments unfolded in a courtroom not far from the Harvard
campus, where speakers at Thursday's commencement ceremony stressed the
importance of maintaining a diverse and international student body.
The dispute over international enrollment at Harvard is the latest
escalation in a battle between the White House and the nation’s oldest
and wealthiest college. In April, Noem sent a letter to the school,
demanding a range of records related to foreign students, including
discipline records and anything related to “dangerous or violent
activity.” Noem said it was in response to accusations of antisemitism
on Harvard’s campus.
Harvard says it complied. But on May 22, Noem sent a letter saying the
school’s response fell short. She said Harvard was being pulled from the
federal program that allows colleges to sponsor international students
to get U.S. visas. It took effect immediately and prevented Harvard from
hosting foreign students in the upcoming school year.
In its lawsuit, Harvard argued the government failed to follow
administrative procedures and regulations for removing schools from
eligibility to host international students, which include giving schools
the opportunity to appeal and a 30-day window to respond.
Noem’s earlier letter to Harvard notified the school that its
eligibility was revoked immediately. It did not cite any regulations or
statutes that Harvard allegedly violated. The Wednesday letter accuses
Harvard of violating regulations around reporting requirements and
violating an executive order regarding combatting antisemitism.
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Ryan Enos, a government professor at Harvard University, speaks at a
protest against President Donald Trump's recent sanctions against
Harvard in front of Science Center Plaza on Tuesday, May 27, 2025,
in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham)
Already, despite the restraining order, the Trump administration’s
efforts to stop Harvard from enrolling international students have
created an environment of “profound fear, concern, and confusion,”
the university’s director of immigration services said in a court
filing on Wednesday.
In a court filing, immigration services director Maureen Martin said
that countless international students had asked about transferring.
Martin said that international Harvard students arriving in Boston
were sent to additional screening by Customs and Border Protection
agents, and that international students seeking to obtain their
visas were being denied or facing delays at consulates and
embassies.
More than 7,000 international students, exchange scholars and alumni
participating in a post-graduate career training period rely on
Harvard for their sponsorship and legal status in the United States.
The sanction, if allowed to proceed, could upend some graduate
schools that draw heavily from abroad. Among those at risk was
Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth, who just finished her first year in a
Harvard graduate program.
Trump railed against Harvard on social media after Burroughs
temporarily halted the action last week, saying “the best thing
Harvard has going for it is that they have shopped around and found
the absolute best Judge (for them!) - But have no fear, the
Government will, in the end, WIN!”
The Trump administration has levied a range of grievances against
Harvard, accusing it of being a hotbed of liberalism and failing to
protect Jewish students from harassment. The government is demanding
changes to Harvard’s governance and policies to bring it in line
with the president’s vision.
Harvard was the first university to reject the government’s demands,
saying it threatened the autonomy that has long made U.S. higher
education a magnet for the world’s top scholars. In a pair of
lawsuits, Harvard accused the government of retaliating against the
university for rebuffing political demands.
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