Federal judge blocks Trump plan to ban international students at Harvard

A federal judge in Boston has blocked a Trump administration plan to bar foreign students and scholars from entering the U.S. to study or work at Harvard.

U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs granted the University’s request for a preliminary injunction on June 23, finding that the administration’s actions were likely illegal and raised serious constitutional concerns.

Burroughs wrote, “This case is about core constitutional rights that must be safeguarded: freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom of speech, each of which is a pillar of a functioning democracy and an essential hedge against authoritarianism.”

The ruling extends a temporary order issued June 5, one day after a proclamation by President Trump declaring that the federal government would deny visas to international students headed to Harvard.

Trump cited national security concerns, accusing the University of failing to turn over records about its approximately 7,000 international students and recent graduates to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a claim University officials have forcefully denied.

Burroughs admonished DHS and other federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Justice, and the State Department, for taking such an abrupt action with “little thought” to the ramifications it will have on international students or the country.

The government’s “misplaced efforts to control a reputable academic institution and squelch diverse viewpoints” because they may differ from the Trump administration’s “threaten these rights,” the judge concluded in the 44-page memorandum and order.

On June 20, Burroughs issued a preliminary injunction enjoining DHS, ICE, and other agencies from revoking Harvard’s participation in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.

DHS had moved to pull the University’s certification in May, saying that Harvard had failed to turn over records of student visa holders, a claim that University officials have denied.

The exchange program, overseen by DHS and ICE, collects information about those wishing to study in the U.S. to ensure they’re legitimate students and grants schools permission to host visa-holding citizens of other nations.

Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has frozen more than $3 billion in grants and contracts with Harvard. Officials made a series of demands that include “audits” of academic programs and departments, along with the viewpoints of students, faculty, and staff, and changes to the University’s governance structure and hiring practices.

The University has filed two civil lawsuits alleging the government’s actions against Harvard are unlawful and retaliatory and violate the University’s constitutional rights.

The administration notified the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals on June 27 that it plans to file an appeal.