A federal judge has blocked a Trump administration decision to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students. The temporary restraining order stops the government from pulling Harvard’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which allows the school to host international students with visas to study in the US.
The ruling came just hours after Harvard filed a lawsuit in the Massachusetts federal court, calling the move a “blatant violation” of the US Constitution.
US District Judge Allison Burroughs granted Harvard’s request for a temporary restraining order, pausing the Department of Homeland Security’s order that would have gone into effect with the 2025-2026 academic year.
Earlier, in a statement to the university community, Harvard President Alan Garber condemned the move as “unlawful and unwarranted”, stating the indispensable role of international students. “With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body,” the university’s complaint read. “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” Garder said.
The 389-year-old institution argued the decision would cause “immediate and irreparable harm”, and framed the administration’s actions as retaliation against Harvard’s refusal to comply with ideological and curricular demands.
Harvard has clashed with the Trump administration before, suing it over the freezing of $3 billion in federal research grants. Meanwhile, other Ivy League institutions like Columbia University have faced pressure to conform to federal demands, agreeing to review curricula and disciplinary practices after losing funding.