Harvard Wins Court Order to Continue Hosting International Students

A federal judge in Boston has issued an order blocking the Trump administration's efforts to prevent Harvard University from hosting international students. The ruling, made by U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, allows Harvard to continue hosting foreign students while the legal case is being decided. However, the judge noted that the federal government retains the authority to review Harvard's ability to host international students through established legal processes.

Harvard filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security in May after the agency abruptly withdrew the school's certification to host foreign students and issue visa paperwork. This action would have forced Harvard's approximately 7,000 international students, who make up about a quarter of the total enrollment, to transfer or risk being in the U.S. illegally. New foreign students would have been barred from attending Harvard.

The university claimed that the government's actions were a form of illegal retaliation for Harvard's refusal to comply with the White House's demands to overhaul policies related to campus protests, admissions, hiring, and more. Judge Burroughs temporarily halted the government's action shortly after Harvard sued.

Less than two weeks later, in early June, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation to block foreign students from entering the U.S. to attend Harvard, citing a different legal justification. Harvard challenged this move, arguing that the president was attempting to circumvent the temporary court order. Judge Burroughs temporarily blocked Trump's proclamation as well, and that emergency block remains in effect. The judge did not address the proclamation in her order on Friday.

Harvard has assured its international students that it will continue to make contingency plans to ensure that they can pursue their academic work to the fullest extent possible, should there be any changes to student visa eligibility or their ability to enroll at Harvard.

The legal battle has created an environment of uncertainty and confusion for current and prospective international students at Harvard. The university has reported that countless students have inquired about transferring, but many are holding out hope that they will be able to attend the university.

One prospective graduate student, who asked to be identified only by her surname for fear of being targeted, had her original doctoral offer at Vanderbilt University rescinded due to federal cuts to research and programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Harvard later offered her a scholarship, which she accepted. However, more than a month after scheduling her visa interview in Beijing, she still hasn't heard back.

The ongoing battle between the Trump administration and Harvard has been marked by a series of government demands meant to address conservative complaints that the school has become too liberal and has tolerated anti-Jewish harassment. The administration has cut more than $2.6 billion in research grants, ended federal contracts, and threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status.

On Friday, President Trump posted on Truth Social that the administration has been working with Harvard to address "their largescale improprieties" and that a deal with Harvard could be announced within the next week. He also stated that Harvard has acted appropriately during these negotiations and appears to be committed to doing what is right.

The administration first targeted Harvard's international students in April when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanded that Harvard turn over records related to any dangerous or illegal activity by foreign students. Harvard complied, but Noem said the response fell short and on May 22 revoked Harvard's certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.

Harvard's lawsuit argued that the action would have harmed the university's reputation as a global research hub and put it at a disadvantage in competing for the world's top students. The university has stated that it will not stray from its "core, legally-protected principles," even after receiving federal ultimatums.