A federal judge in Boston has prolonged the suspension of the Trump administration’s attempt to bar foreign students from enrolling at Harvard University, reported ABC News.
The extension, issued by US District Judge Allison Burroughs on 16 Jun 2025, keeps a temporary restraining order in place until at least 23 Jun 2025, as the court weighs whether to impose a preliminary injunction against the policy.
Temporary Restraining Order Extended
The temporary restraining order was originally set to expire on Thursday. The extension followed a hearing in which Harvard’s legal team argued that the administration’s actions amounted to retaliation and violated the university’s First Amendment rights.
Advertisements
Harvard’s lawyers insisted that the government’s move was outside the executive branch’s authority and constituted viewpoint discrimination against the institution.
Administration’s Actions
The Trump administration has pursued several avenues to restrict Harvard’s ability to admit international students.
In May, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, which is required for the university to host foreign students.
The administration also instructed US embassies to deny visas to students intending to study at Harvard and sought to remove the university from the electronic student immigration registry.
During Monday’s court session, government attorney Tiberius Davis said that allowing Harvard to bring in foreign students was “a privilege, not a right”.
Davis argued that the administration did not “trust Harvard to vet, host, monitor or discipline” international students.
He also raised concerns about Harvard’s alleged “foreign entanglements” with the Chinese government, claims which the university strongly denied.
Harvard’s legal team, led by attorney Ian Gershengorn, countered that the administration’s actions were illegal and retaliatory.
Advertisements
Gershengorn said the government was using international students as “pawns” in its dispute with the university.
He argued that the president was not simply restricting entry but was attempting to control what people do and who they associate with after arrival in the United States.
Impact on Students
International students make up about 27% of Harvard’s student body, with nearly 6,800 enrolled in the most recent academic year. The largest groups come from China and India.
Many students have reported difficulties, including visa denials and secondary screenings at US airports, despite the restraining order.
Some have considered transferring to other institutions due to the uncertainty.
Advertisements
The Trump administration has also frozen billions of dollars in federal grants and proposed revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status, escalating the legal standoff between the government and the university.
Harvard has stated that these actions are part of a broader campaign to punish the university for refusing to comply with demands to alter its governance, curriculum, and the ideologies of its faculty and students.
Judge Burroughs indicated that a longer-term decision on whether to grant a preliminary injunction is expected within a week.
Would you be jailed for being half-naked in public? Well, the answer will shock you. Seriously. Watch this to the end and you'll understand:
