A court has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s new order aimed at stopping most foreign students from enrolling at Harvard University. The White House had announced the ban late Wednesday, targeting new international students and warning that current foreign students might lose their visas. The administration claimed Harvard’s actions made it an unsuitable place for foreign students and researchers.
Harvard responded by updating its federal court complaint, accusing the government of ongoing retaliation. The university argued this move was part of a campaign punishing Harvard for exercising its rights to resist government interference in its curriculum, governance, and campus ideas.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled that Trump’s order cannot be enforced. She said Harvard demonstrated that without this temporary pause, it would face immediate and serious harm before a full hearing could take place. The same judge had previously blocked an earlier Trump attempt to restrict international students at Harvard.
The federal government had already cut about $3.2 billion in grants and contracts to Harvard and vowed to withhold future funding. Harvard, a key target in Trump’s wider campaign against elite universities, had refused government demands to control its curriculum, faculty, and student recruitment policies.
International students make up 27 percent of Harvard’s enrollment for the 2024-2025 academic year and contribute significantly to its income. Harvard acknowledged the President’s authority to block certain groups of foreigners in the public interest but insisted this ban was driven by a political vendetta, not national interest.
Since returning to office, Trump has pressured top universities, accusing them of promoting liberal bias and “woke” ideologies. His administration also threatened Columbia University’s accreditation, accusing it of ignoring harassment of Jewish students and putting its federal funding at risk. Unlike Harvard, some universities, including Columbia, have complied with the administration’s demands.
