A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to bar Harvard University from enrolling international students, offering temporary relief to thousands of affected scholars.
District Judge Jeffrey White issued the ruling on Thursday, halting the enforcement of the order announced a day earlier by Kristi Noem, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The DHS directive had stripped Harvard of its Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, which would have prevented the university from admitting new international students and forced current ones on F- or J-visa status to transfer or lose their legal status.
Before the court’s intervention, Harvard described the directive as “unlawful,” calling it a retaliatory move that posed a serious threat to its academic mission and global community.
In her statement, Noem accused Harvard of failing to address “violence, antisemitism, and coordination with the Chinese Communist Party” on campus. She added, “Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.”
The decision follows a series of disputes between Harvard and the Trump administration. The government had demanded the university audit faculty for plagiarism, report all international student misconduct regardless of severity, and eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Harvard’s refusal led to a freeze of $2.2 billion in federal research grants and a threat to cut off additional funding.
Harvard responded by reaffirming its commitment to its international community. “We are fully committed to maintaining our ability to host international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the university — and this nation — immeasurably,” it said in a statement.
The university criticized the government’s action as retaliatory and harmful, adding that it undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission. For the 2024/2025 academic year, international students make up 27.2 percent of the university’s total enrollment.
The ruling temporarily restores Harvard’s ability to enroll and retain foreign students, though the legal and political battle may continue in the weeks ahead.
