Judge Prevents US Government from Cancelling Harvard Enrollment for International Students
A US judge has prevented the Trump administration from rescinding Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students, intensifying the White House’s efforts to align academic practices with President Donald Trump’s policies.
US District Judge Allison Burroughs’ ruling offers temporary relief to the thousands of international students who were at risk of being compelled to transfer under a policy that the Ivy League institution described as part of the administration’s broader initiative to retaliate against it for refusing to “surrender its academic independence.”
The Trump administration may challenge Judge Burroughs’ decision.
Representatives for the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond immediately to inquiries for comment.
“Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” the 389-year-old institution stated in the lawsuit filed in Boston federal court.
Harvard has enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in the current academic year, which accounts for 27% of its total enrollment.
The termination of Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, set to take effect in the 2025-2026 academic year, was announced yesterday by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Harvard University has enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in the current academic year.
In her brief order halting the policy for two weeks, Judge Burroughs indicated that Harvard had demonstrated it could face harm before a full hearing of the case.
The judge, appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama, has scheduled hearings for May 27 and 29 to determine the next steps in the case.
Mr. Trump’s pressure on Harvard is part of the Republican’s larger campaign to urge universities, law firms, media outlets, courts, and other institutions that value independence from partisan politics to conform to his agenda.
This campaign has included efforts to deport international students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests without committing crimes, retaliate against law firms employing attorneys who have opposed Mr. Trump, and his suggestion to impeach a judge over an immigration ruling he disagreed with.
Harvard, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has vigorously opposed Mr. Trump’s actions, having previously sued to restore approximately $3 billion in federal grants that had been frozen or canceled.
Some institutions, however, have made concessions to Mr. Trump.
Columbia University agreed to reform its disciplinary processes and review curricula for courses on the Middle East after Mr. Trump withdrew $400 million in funding, alleging the Ivy League school had insufficiently addressed antisemitism.
In a statement before Judge Burroughs’ ruling, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson dismissed the lawsuit.
“If only Harvard cared this much about ending the scourge of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators on their campus, they wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with,” she stated.
“Harvard should focus its time and resources on creating a safe campus environment instead of pursuing baseless lawsuits,” she added.
