Trump Takes A Loss In Court

A federal judge in Boston said Thursday she would issue a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s directive to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students. The decision came after an emergency hearing where the court considered the impact of the order, which directly affected roughly 27 percent of Harvard’s student population.

Judge Allison Burroughs delivered her ruling from the bench, stating, “I want to maintain the status quo,” according to CNN. Her injunction halts the enforcement of the directive from the Department of Homeland Security, which also ordered current international students at Harvard to transfer to other institutions or face losing their visas.

The Trump administration had claimed the move was part of a broader effort to hold Harvard accountable for what it described as “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the directive, stating, “It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments.”

In court filings, Harvard detailed the disruptive consequences the directive had triggered within just one week. According to Maureen Martin, the university’s director of immigration services, some students had already begun seeking transfers, others were turning down admission offers, and visa holders were experiencing heightened scrutiny at airports. She also noted that foreign governments were trying to lure away students, capitalizing on the uncertainty surrounding Harvard’s international programs.

Before the court hearing, the Trump administration had said it would give Harvard 30 days to comply by handing over requested information before fully enforcing the order. Despite that temporary window, the judge still decided to issue the injunction, emphasizing the need to preserve stability. She encouraged both sides to work together on an agreement that would maintain the current operation of the student visa program, stating, “It doesn’t need to be draconian, but I want to make sure it’s worded in such a way that nothing changes.”

The legal battle over international students is just one part of a broader conflict between Harvard and the Trump administration. The university has also been targeted with calls to strip its federal funding and revoke its tax-exempt status. Trump has accused Harvard of promoting antisemitism and claimed foreign-born students are taking admission slots away from American students.

Harvard, for its part, has resisted the administration’s demands to overhaul its hiring and admissions policies, including eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. In response, the school has faced frozen federal funds amounting to billions of dollars and is now the subject of multiple federal investigations. Another lawsuit between Harvard and the administration, related to the first $3 billion in blocked federal funding, is scheduled for its next hearing in July.