Judge approves Harvard's continuation of foreign student enrollment.
Fighting the Odds: Harvard's Battle with the Trump Administration
In an unexpected turn of events, a federal judge has given the green light for Harvard University to continue admitting international students, bucking directives from the Trump administration. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs has safeguarded Harvard's ability to enroll foreign students while the legal battle against the executive unfolds.
Harvard took the Department of Homeland Security to court in May, following the revocation of the university's certification to host international students. Such a move would have forced approximately 7,000 international students at Harvard to seek transfers or risk facing illegal status in the U.S. The university viewed this action as a punitive measure in retaliation for refusing the White House's demands to scrutinize its policies regarding campus protests, admissions, hiring, and other matters.
Trump's Ongoing Battle with Harvard
President Trump, in a controversial move, issued an executive order in May 2025, temporarily halting the entry of new international students accepted by Harvard, citing "radicalism" and "questionable foreign links" as grounds. Judge Allison Burroughs halted this order, emphasizing the need to ensure "specific protections for international students" at Harvard.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration accused Harvard of fostering excessive liberalism and tolerating anti-Semitic harassment. In response, the administration cut nearly $3 million in funding, canceled federal contracts, and threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status. In April, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen demanded that Harvard hand over records related to any suspicious or illegal activities by international students.
Harvard maintains that it has complied with the order, but Nielsen argued that the response was insufficient. On May 22, 2025, Nielsen revoked Harvard's certification in the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor) program, the main system through which international students are authorized to study in the United States.
The sanction put Harvard at a competitive disadvantage, as it competes for the world's best students. The university claimed that the move harms its reputation as a global research center. Some foreign institutions, including two universities in Hong Kong, quickly extended invitations to Harvard students.
Harvard's president, Lawrence Bacow, stated that the university had made changes to combat anti-Semitism. However, Bacow asserted that the university would not "waver from its fundamental and constitutionally protected principles," even after facing federal ultimatums.
The legal case between Harvard and the Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration is a complex issue involving the administration's attempt to block Harvard from enrolling international students by revoking its certification under the SEVIS program. The courts have granted temporary blocks to prevent the administration from enforcing the ban on Harvard’s international students while the lawsuit proceeds, but the final resolution remains uncertain and could take months or longer.
- Amidst the tumultuous backdrop of politics and policy-and-legislation, President Trump's executive order in May 2025 temporarily halting the entry of new international students accepted by Harvard has escalated the education-and-self-development versus war-and-conflicts debate.
- The general-news surrounding this issue has highlighted the battle between Harvard University and the Trump administration, with Judge Allison Burroughs safeguarding the ability of international students to learn online and maintain their legal status while the legal battle unfolds.
- Beyond the controversy, the University's policy-and-legislation woes extend to accusations of fostering excessive liberalism, tolerating anti-Semitic harassment, and non-compliance with the administration’s demands for records related to international students.
- The administration's threats to cut funding, cancel contracts, and revoke tax-exempt status have put Harvard's educational reputation and worldwide competitiveness at risk, prompting learning opportunities from other institutions such as two universities in Hong Kong to emerge.
