Judge Blocks Trump Admin’s Attempt to Cancel Harvard Student Visa Program

A federal judge has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s move to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students through its student visa program.

The decision came just hours after Harvard filed a lawsuit against the administration, arguing that the policy would affect over 7,000 international students. US District Judge Allison Burroughs sided with the university, granting a temporary restraining order and writing that the administration’s action would cause “immediate and irreparable injury” to the school. 

The restraining order will remain in effect until further court proceedings, with a hearing scheduled for next week to determine whether to issue a broader pause on the policy.

In its lawsuit, Harvard described the administration’s actions as a “blatant violation” of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act.

“It is the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government’s demands to control Harvard’s governance, curriculum, and the ‘ideology’ of its faculty and students,” Harvard said in its complaint.

The Department of Homeland Security moved to terminate Harvard’s participation in the visa program after the university allegedly failed to comply with a request for extensive behavioral records of foreign students. DHS had given Harvard 72 hours to comply, according to a Fox News report, and had requested protest footage and disciplinary records from the past five years involving visa holders.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the administration’s action, stating, “This lawsuit seeks to kneecap the President’s constitutionally vested powers under Article II.”

“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments,” she said. “The Trump administration is committed to restoring common sense to our student visa system; no lawsuit, this or any other, is going to change that.”