Harvard Wins Block On Trump’s Foreign Student Ban

Harvard University has won a temporary court order blocking the Trump administration from enforcing a ban on international students at the school, securing a victory in a high-stakes legal battle with broad implications for higher education in the U.S., Janet Lorin and David Voreacos reported for Bloomberg News.

The TRO will remain in place until the court rules on Harvard’s request for a more permanent injunction.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled recently that the government cannot enforce the ban, which was imposed the day before.

Burroughs issued her ruling just hours after Harvard filed a lawsuit against the U.S. in Boston federal court. She granted the university a temporary restraining order (TRO), finding that it would suffer “immediate and irreparable injury” if the Department of Homeland Security directive went into effect.

In its lawsuit, Harvard is asking the judge to declare that the government’s directive illegally violates the university’s free speech and due process rights and fails to comply with federal regulations.

The TRO will remain in place until the court rules on Harvard’s request for a more permanent injunction. A hearing on that request is set for May 29.

The directive threatens to deliver a crippling blow to the oldest and wealthiest U.S. university and escalates the government’s clash with elite colleges.

The U.S. claims it is acting against Harvard over the school’s handling of antisemitism on campus and is demanding greater oversight of foreign students. Harvard counters that President Donald Trump has gone far beyond the legal limits of federal authority in attempting to address such issues.

The ruling means Harvard will not have to immediately halt enrollment of international students, who comprise about a quarter of the student body.