US Judge blocks Trump administration from revoking Harvard’s right to enroll foreign students

Trump administration may appeal the ruling

In a major setback for the Trump administration, a U.S. federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked its attempt to strip Harvard University of the ability to enroll foreign students, Reuters reported.

The decision by District Judge Allison Burroughs comes just hours after Harvard filed an emergency lawsuit in Boston federal court, calling the government’s move a “blatant violation” of the U.S. Constitution and federal laws, Reuters said. The university argued the policy was part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to punish it for refusing to “surrender its academic independence."

The court ruling offers immediate relief to over 7,000 international students at Harvard who were facing the risk of forced transfers or loss of visa status. Judge Burroughs’ order halts the enforcement of the policy while the legal challenge proceeds.

Harvard’s lawsuit contended that revoking its Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification would have “devastating effects” and was unconstitutional retaliation for the university's past opposition to White House policies. “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” the institution said in its complaint.

According to Reuters, the Trump administration may appeal the ruling. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security declined immediate comment on the decision.

Harvard had announced its legal challenge earlier in the day, stating the administration’s action violated the First Amendment and threatened to dismantle the educational experience for thousands of visa holders who form an integral part of the institution’s academic fabric.