Administration's temporary restriction on international Harvard students entering the U.S. halted by judge's ruling
Going Head-to-Head: Trump Administration vs Harvard University over Foreign Student Enrollment
Jonas Du, a recent graduate from Columbia University, discusses the tensions between President Donald Trump's administration and Harvard University.
In a recent turn of events, a federal judge put a halt on the Trump administration's plan to deny foreign students entry into Harvard University. Judge Allison Burroughs made this decision on Thursday, just hours after the Ivy League institution filed an amended complaint in court, claiming the administration's move was unconstitutional. Approximately 7,000 students at Harvard hold F-1 or J-1 visas, meaning they can't study, teach, or conduct research in the U.S. without these certifications. The ban's impact extends to family members and dependents.
According to Harvard's lawsuit, the administration's proclamation "lacks any lawful basis," and it doesn't apply to any broad immigrant group. Despite this verdict, it seems that Trump isn't ready to back down.
Harvard claims the measure doesn't target a specific class of immigrants but rather singled out Harvard-bound students, labeling it a "government vendetta" instead of a security measure. Back in April, a federal task force headed by the Trump administration demanded Harvard undergo ideological screenings of students and faculty, implement "viewpoint diversity" quotas in hiring and admissions, and impose penalties on student activist groups.
The administration also requested Harvard to disclose its foreign funding sources and allow government oversight of internal policies. When Harvard refused, the government froze $2.2 billion in research funding. Trump went on to accuse Harvard of pushing radical ideology on Truth Social, and claimed the school employed "woke, Radical Left, idiots." He further alleged that Harvard was no longer a top-tier institution.
The Department of Homeland Security interrupted Harvard's SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) certification a few days later, a move that allows the school to sponsor international students. However, a federal judge once again blocked this decision. Now Harvard accuses the administration of using Trump's proclamation to circumvent previous court rulings.
The government counters that Harvard failed to provide complete information on its international student population but the university denies this claim and asserts the revocation was a cover. "There is no lawful justification for the government's unprecedented actions," the university said in Thursday's filing.
Harvard is now being represented by Robert Hur, former special counsel who interviewed former President Joe Biden.
For many international students, the uncertainty continues as the legal battle unfolds. A graduate student, Jing, from China, interning in Asia, expressed her frustrations to The Associated Press: "It's tiring, we all feel numb now." Yonas Nuguse, an Ethiopian student who secured admission after enduring war and a school shutdown, also shared his concerns: "I hope the situation is temporary, and I can enroll on time."
Louis Casiano and David Spunt contributed to this report.
Jasmine is a writer at our website Digital and a military spouse based in New Orleans. Feel free to reach out to her at [email protected].
The ongoing legal dispute between Harvard University and the Trump administration raises concerns about the intersection of education-and-self-development and politics, as the future of foreign student enrollment hangs in the balance. Despite a federal judge halting the administration's plan to deny visa entry to Harvard students, tensions persist, with the administration alleging ideological biases within the university and Harvard accusing the administration of unconstitutional actions. This conflict encroaches upon the general-news landscape, with implications for thousands of international students, such as Jing, a Chinese graduate student, and Yonas Nuguse, an Ethiopian student, who fear for their academic futures.
