US judge temporarily halts Trump ban on foreign students at Harvard

A US district judge has issued a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration, stopping the enforcement of a ban that prevents Harvard University from admitting international students.

President Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday that blocks the university from enrolling foreign students, who make up a quarter of its student population and contribute greatly to its research and academic achievements.

This move marks the latest attack by the administration against the country’s oldest and wealthiest university. Nevertheless, Harvard responded quickly by filing a lawsuit.

Judge Allison Burroughs, located in Massachusetts, issued the restraining order on Thursday, stating that the university would suffer immediate and irreparable harm if the proclamation were enforced.

According to Harvard, the policy is a vendetta carried out by President Donald Trump designed to suppress free speech.

Mr Trump claimed that the ban is necessary for national security reasons and accused Harvard of not doing enough to stop antisemitism on campus.

If Mr Trump’s order were put into effect, it would impact thousands of foreign students, including Nigerians who were set to return to Harvard’s campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the summer and fall semesters.

“Harvard’s more than 7,000 F-1 and J-1 visa holders — and their dependents — have become pawns in the government’s escalating campaign of retaliation,” Harvard said.

The US district judge has blocked the enforcement of the order and also extended the temporary suspension placed on the administration’s previous attempt to stop Harvard from enrolling international students.

In May, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declared that it was revoking Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification.

This program allowed the university to admit foreign students. The DHS blamed the revocation on the University’s refusal to provide behavioral records of student visa holders as requested.

The Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Neom, accused the school of promoting an unsafe campus environment, hostility toward Jewish students, support for Hamas, and what she called racist DEI initiatives.

“Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country. This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” she said.

“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enrol foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunities to do the right thing. It refused.”

However, the order was promptly blocked by a judge and was upheld last week by another federal judge.