A US Federal Judge has blocked Donald Trump’s administration from enforcing a controversial proclamation that would have barred foreign nationals from studying at Harvard University, marking a major legal victory for the Ivy League institution in its escalating battle with the former president.
US District Judge Allison Burroughs, sitting in Boston, issued a preliminary injunction on Monday, extending an earlier temporary order made on June 5. The injunction halts the Trump administration’s attempts to prevent international students from entering the United States to attend Harvard or participate in its exchange programmes.
Trump vs Harvard: How it started
The now-blocked proclamation, signed by Trump just days earlier, cited national security concerns and alleged that Harvard could no longer be trusted to host foreign students. It aimed to suspend international enrolment for six months and tasked Republican senator Marco Rubio with considering whether to revoke the visas of currently enrolled students.
Harvard, which counts nearly 6,800 international students, about 27% of its student body, called the move a politically motivated attack on academic freedom. The university has filed two lawsuits against the Trump administration, both heard by Judge Burroughs. One seeks to unfreeze approximately $2.5bn in federal funding, while the other challenges the administration’s efforts to bar international student access.
The dispute is the latest chapter in a broader feud between Trump and the prestigious university. In recent months, the administration has suspended federal funding to Harvard, threatened its tax-exempt status, and launched multiple investigations into its operations.
In a statement last Friday, Trump suggested a possible deal with Harvard was in the works and could be announced “over the next week or so.” However, Harvard maintains that the administration’s actions amount to unlawful retaliation for the university’s refusal to alter its governance, academic curriculum, and ideological stance in line with White House demands.
The legal battle intensified on 22 May when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem abruptly revoked Harvard’s certification to host international students. Noem accused the university of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party,” though she presented no supporting evidence.
Judge Burroughs swiftly intervened to block Noem’s action and later criticised the department’s conduct at a 29 May hearing, stating her intention to preserve the status quo. That intention was formalised in Friday’s injunction.
The Trump administration’s crackdown came amid heightened tensions on US campuses, including Harvard’s, where protests over Israel’s actions in Gaza have sparked fierce debate. The administration accused the university of creating an unsafe environment for Jewish students, while critics noted its silence on rising anti-Muslim and anti-Arab sentiment.
Harvard, for its part, has acknowledged concerns across the spectrum. In April, the university released reports from both its antisemitism and Islamophobia task forces, which highlighted a climate of fear and discrimination on campus.
While the Trump administration continues to pursue an administrative process to challenge Harvard’s ability to enrol foreign students, Monday’s ruling provides temporary relief for the university and its international community.
