Judge Stops Trump Plan to Remove International Students from Harvard

On Monday, a federal judge halted the Trump administration’s attempt to prevent foreign nationals from entering the United States to study at Harvard University.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, based in Boston, issued an injunction preventing the Trump administration from moving forward with its latest effort to restrict Harvard’s capacity to host international students, amid a growing conflict between the Republican president and the renowned Ivy League university.

The preliminary injunction extends a temporary ruling issued by the judge on June 5, which blocked the administration from enforcing a proclamation signed by Trump the previous day. The proclamation, citing national security concerns, argued that Harvard could no longer be trusted to host international students.

The judge issued her ruling following Trump’s announcement on Friday that his administration might reach a deal with Harvard “within the next week or so” to settle the White House’s ongoing campaign against the university, which has been engaged in legal action challenging the administration’s various measures targeting the school.

Trump issued the proclamation after his administration had already suspended billions in funding to the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university, threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status, and initiated multiple investigations into the institution.

The proclamation barred foreign nationals from entering the United States to study at Harvard or take part in exchange visitor programs for an initial six-month period. It also instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to evaluate whether the visas of international students already enrolled at Harvard should be revoked.

However, Judge Burroughs stated that the Trump administration likely violated Harvard’s First Amendment rights by retaliating against the university for refusing to comply with demands to surrender control over its curriculum and admissions. She also noted that the administration appeared to be targeting Harvard due to its perceived left-leaning stance.

The judge emphasized that “fundamentally, this case concerns essential constitutional rights that need protection: freedom of thought, expression, and speech, all of which are foundational to a functioning democracy and serve as crucial safeguards against authoritarianism.”

“In this case, the government’s misguided attempts to control a respected academic institution and suppress differing perspectives—simply because they sometimes conflict with the Administration’s views—pose a threat to these fundamental rights,” the judge wrote.