Federal judge halts Trump’s ban on Harvard’s international students

A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s ban to prevent international students from enrolling at Harvard on Friday, the latest development in the White House’s escalating pressure campaign against the Ivy League university.

The judge granted Harvard’s request for a temporary restraining order on the basis that the school would “sustain immediate and irreparable injury” before a hearing, which CNBC reports is set for Tuesday, could take place.

On Thursday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered her agency to withdraw the school’s certification for admitting foreign students, known as a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. The change would block future international students from enrolling at Harvard while also imperiling the legal status of international students currently studying there.

The university filed a lawsuit on Friday morning to oppose the ban, arguing that it violates the First Amendment. “Harvard has, over this time, developed programs and degrees tailored to its international students, invested millions to recruit the most talented such students, and integrated its international students into all aspects of the Harvard community,” the lawsuit states, noting that the university along with 7,000 visa holders would suffer “immediate and devastating” effects.

Homeland Security accused Harvard of permitting “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students” and jeopardizing safety on campus, pointing the finger at foreign students. The agency also referenced alleged connections between the university and the Chinese Communist Party.

“They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law,” Noem said. “Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.”

The escalation against Harvard is the latest attack on high-profile universities during Trump’s second term. The administration has repeatedly targeted Harvard and other academic institutions over their diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments, and claims that they foster antisemitism through student protests over Israel’s ongoing invasion of Gaza.

However the Trump administration’s attack on Harvard shakes out in court, schools that attract the best and brightest from around the globe are likely to suffer as foreign students think twice about taking the risk on elite American universities.