Within hours of Harvard University filing a lawsuit on Friday, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to ban foreign students from attending the school. The ruling came swiftly from Judge Allison D. Burroughs, who issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the administration’s directive from taking effect. The order will remain in place at least until the court holds a status hearing to determine the next steps in the case.
Judge Burroughs sided with Harvard’s argument that allowing the ban to move forward while the case is being litigated would cause the university “immediate and irreparable injury.” The decision marks another legal setback for President Trump in his efforts to assert control over elite academic institutions, particularly those his administration views as ideologically opposed or dominated by liberal influence.
Harvard officials framed the administration’s actions as politically motivated retaliation. In a public statement, Harvard President Alan Garber said the federal government was attempting to punish the university for refusing to compromise its academic independence. He accused the administration of seeking to impose illegal control over the school’s curriculum, faculty, and student body, describing the foreign student ban as part of a broader campaign to undermine institutional autonomy.
The legal action followed a dramatic move by the Trump administration on Thursday, when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that Harvard would no longer be allowed to enroll new international students. She added that current international students should either transfer to another institution or leave the country. The administration gave the university just 72 hours to turn over international student records to federal authorities.
Noem defended the administration’s position by saying that Harvard was being held accountable for what she described as fostering violence, spreading antisemitism, and cooperating with the Chinese Communist Party on campus. She warned that other universities should take the administration’s actions as a clear message to align with federal expectations or face similar consequences.
While Harvard’s legal team succeeded in securing immediate relief from the court, the broader implications of the case suggest a deepening standoff between elite academic institutions and a presidential administration determined to reshape higher education through aggressive oversight and control.