Trump ban on Harvard international student enrollment halted

Friday, a federal judge in Boston temporarily interrupted the ban on the Trump administration at Harvard University registering international students, hours after private school has tabled a trial contesting this draconian action.

The order came one day after Department of Internal Security Revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students as part of the F-1 visa program at the request of secretary Kristi Noem, saying that the private school tolerated “anti-American and pro-terrorist agitators” on campus.

Judge Allison Burroughs, by issuing a temporary prohibition order Friday morning, international students made it possible to remain registered in Harvard pending a legal hearing, which she planned on Tuesday.

Burroughs said Harvard has shown that at Tro is granted, “he will undergo immediate and irreparable injuries before he was an opportunity to hear all parties.”

“A TRO is justified to preserve the status quo while waiting for a hearing,” wrote the judge.

DHS said Thursday that Harvard was forbidden to register future international students and that current foreign students registered in school were to leave school or risk losing their legal status in the United States.

The ban has affected more than 7,000 current visa holders who have been studying Harvard, who has been in the Trump administration for months.

Among Harvard’s foreign students is Princess Elisabeth, the future Queen of Belgium, who pursues a master’s degree in public policy.

President Donald Trump last month said Harvard should lose his tax exemption status.

“With the blow of a pen, the government sought to erase a quarter of the Harvard student body, international students who contribute significantly to university and its mission,” said the school in its trial in American district court in the Massachusetts.

“Harvard’s certification is essential for each thousands of international students to Harvard remains legally in this country while they take courses, get diplomas and continue critical research,” said the trial.

The trial described the revocation of “flagrant violation of the first amendment” and the regular procedural clause of the American Constitution.

The school also declared that it was the “last act of the government in clear reprisals for Harvard exercising its first amendment rights to reject the government’s requests to control Harvard’s governance, the study program and the ideology of its teachers and students”.

The deputy secretary of the DHS, Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement, said that the Harvard trial aims to insebly insebly the constitutionally acquired powers of the president under article II “of the Constitution.

“It is a privilege, not a right, so that universities register foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition fees to help win their endowments of several billion dollars,” said McLaughlin.

“The Trump administration is committed to restoring common sense towards our student visa system; no trials, this or any other, will change that. We have the law, the facts and common sense on our side.”

The DHS said on Thursday that he had revoked Harvard Program of students and exchange visitors Certification because the leadership of the Ivy League school “has created a dangerous campus environment by allowing anti-American and pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct their learning environment once.”

The Harvard trial noted that the action of the Trump administration came a few days before obtaining the diploma.

“Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” said the complaint.

The president of Harvard Alan Garber, in A letter to the school community Friday, wrote: “We condemn this illegal and unjustified action” by the Trump administration.

“The government has said that its destructive action is based on Harvard’s non-compliance with requests from the American Department of Internal Security,” Garber wrote.

“In fact, Harvard responded to the Ministry’s requests as required by law,” he wrote.

The trial indicates that Noem, in a letter of April 16 at the Harvard International Office, asked for information on each student of Harvard schools in the 10 working days, accusing Harvard of not having “condemned anti -Semitism”.

The pursuit indicates that Harvard produced the information requested on April 30 and provided additional information on May 14.

“However, on May 22, 2025, the DHS judged that Harvard’s responses” insufficient ” – without explaining why or citing a regulation with which Harvard did not comply – and revoked Harvard’s SEVP certification” immediately “”, said the complaint.

The prosecution notes that in recent weeks and months, the Trump administration working group to combat anti -Semitism has conditioned the continuous issuance of “many federal advantages” to Harvard, including billions of dollars in subsidies and other funding, on the university “accepting radical changes to Harvard governance, admission and academic programs”.

“When, on April 14, 2025, Harvard refused to access these requests, the government’s remuneration was rapid,” said the trial.

“Hours later, the government froze more than $ 2.2 billion in federal funding essential to the support of peculiar research in progress in Harvard,” he said.

Friday, in his letter, Garber addressed to international students and academics affected by the ban on inscriptions.

“Know that you are vital members of our community,” said Garber. “You are our classmates and our friends, colleagues and mentors, our partners in the work of this great institution.”

“We will support you because we do our best to make sure Harvard remains open to the world.”