Trump “Loses” as US Judge Blocks Administration from Revoking Harvard Foreign Students’ Enrolment

You probably know about Trump revoking the visas for foreign students in Harvard University.

Well, there’s now an update.

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from revoking Harvard University’s certification to enroll international students on 23 May. US District Judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order freezing the policy hours after Harvard filed a lawsuit in Boston federal court.

Harvard called the revocation a “blatant violation” of the US Constitution and federal laws. The university argued the action had an “immediate and devastating effect” on the institution and more than 7,000 visa holders.

“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,” Harvard stated in its complaint.

The 389-year-old school declared that “without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.”

Judge Burroughs, appointed by former Democratic president Barack Obama, granted the restraining order following Harvard’s legal challenge. The lawsuit argued the administration’s action violates the First Amendment and represents clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its constitutional rights.

Trump Administration Targets Harvard Over Campus Protests

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the termination of Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Programme certification on 22 May. The revocation was effective with the 2025-2026 academic year.

Noem justified the action by citing Harvard’s “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.” She demanded Harvard turn over records about international students within 72 hours, including video or audio of their protest activity from the past five years.

The records request focused on potential “misconduct and other offenses” by foreign students. Noem accused Harvard of creating “an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.”

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson dismissed Harvard’s lawsuit before the ruling. “If only Harvard cared this much about ending the scourge of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators on their campus they wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with,” Jackson said.

Trump’s pressure on Harvard forms part of his broader campaign to force universities, law firms, news media, courts and other institutions to align with his agenda. The campaign includes efforts to deport foreign students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests but committed no crimes.

Some institutions have made concessions to Trump. Columbia University agreed to reform disciplinary processes and review Middle East curricula after Trump pulled $400 million in funding over antisemitism allegations. Law firms including Paul, Weiss and Skadden Arps agreed to provide free legal services to causes Trump supports.

Financial Impact and International Student Body at Risk

Harvard enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in the current school year, representing 27% of total enrollment. Students come from more than 140 countries and have grown steadily over the past decade.

The revocation would force Harvard to retract admissions for thousands of people. The action threw “countless” academic programmes, clinics, courses and research laboratories into disarray just days before graduation.

International students at Harvard include Cleo Carney, daughter of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Princess Elisabeth, first in line to the Belgian throne.

At many US universities, international students pay full tuition, essentially subsidizing aid for other students. The revocation could impact Harvard’s finances significantly given these students contribute to the university’s nearly $6 billion annual budget.

“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.

Harvard’s bonds, part of its $8.2 billion debt pile, have fallen since Trump first warned US universities in March of cuts to federal funding. The decision adds to growing federal penalties against Harvard, including the loss of billions in federal research funding and recent threats to strip the university’s tax-exempt status.

The Department of Health and Human Services said it would terminate $60 million in grants to the university earlier this week. Harvard had previously sued to restore $3 billion in federal grants that had been frozen or cancelled.

Harvard president Dr Garber condemned the administration’s actions in a letter to the Harvard community on 23 May. “The revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence and to submit to the federal government’s illegal assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body,” Dr Garber wrote.

The university described the revocation as “unlawful many times over” and said the government violates the First Amendment by using coercion to police private speech. Harvard argued the action forces universities to surrender their academic freedom.