A federal judge has slammed the Trump administration’s attempt to block international students from attending Harvard, calling it a “blatant violation of the Constitution.”
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs handed down a temporary restraining order Friday, stopping the administration’s effort cold. In her ruling, Burroughs sided with Harvard, saying the university showed that the administration’s move would cause “immediate and irreparable injury” to the school and its students.
“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 wrote in its lawsuit. “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.”
The lawsuit, filed Friday in Boston, accuses the Trump administration of launching a “campaign of retribution” and violating the First Amendment. The university warned the move would devastate Harvard and more than 7,000 international students on visas.
“This unlawful and unwarranted action imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams,” said Harvard President Dr. Alan M. Garber in a letter to students and staff.
Harvard isn’t the only school caught in the crossfire. The White House has been pushing universities nationwide to fall in line with its agenda—threatening to strip funding and tax-exempt status unless schools crack down on pro-Palestinian protests and diversity programs.
The Trump administration dismissed Harvard’s lawsuit as “frivolous.” Abigail Jackson, a spokesperson, told The New York Times, “If only Harvard cared this much about ending the scourge of anti-American, antisemitic, pro-terrorist agitators on their campus they wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with. Harvard should spend their time and resources on creating a safe campus environment instead of filing frivolous lawsuits.”
The Department of Homeland Security joined the attack, claiming Harvard had created “an unsafe campus environment” by allowing “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem went further, accusing Harvard of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.”
Meanwhile, in a separate but related decision, a California judge also blocked the Trump administration from revoking the legal status of international students nationwide while lawsuits proceed. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White said the administration had “wreaked havoc” on the lives of hundreds of foreign students across the country.
This is just the latest clash between Harvard and the Trump team. The White House has been threatening to cut federal funding and strip the school’s tax-exempt status unless it cracks down on pro-Palestinian protests and scraps diversity programs.
For now, Harvard’s international students can stay.
