Federal judge extends order blocking Trump administration ban on foreign students at Harvard

STARTS RIGHT NOW. BREAKING AT NOON. A FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS SHE PLANS TO ISSUE A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION BLOCKING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM REVOKING HARVARD’S ABILITY TO ENROLL INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS. JUST THIS MORNING, ICE HAD FORMALLY NOTIFIED HARVARD THAT IT PLANS TO REVOKE ITS STUDENT AND EXCHANGE VISITOR PROGRAM CERTIFICATION. THAT LETTER GIVES HARVARD 30 DAYS TO RESPOND, CITING NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS AND ACCUSING THE SCHOOL OF FAILING TO CURB ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUS. IN REGARDS TO THAT LETTER. DHS SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM, POSTING ON X THIS MORNING SAYING THIS QUOTE, WE CONTINUE TO REJECT HARVARD’S REPEATED PATTERN OF ENDANGERING ITS STUDENTS AND SPREADING AMERICAN HATE. IT MUST CHANGE ITS WAYS IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN AMERICAN PROGRAMS. THIS ALL HAPPENING, BY THE WAY, AS THOUSANDS ARE GATHERED IN HARVARD YARD FOR GRADUATION, A STANDING OVATION ERUPTED AS PRESIDENT ALAN GARBER WELCOMED THE CROWD. MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2025 FROM DOWN THE STREET ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD. GARBER, EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TO THE UNIVERSITY IN THE FACE OF ITS BATTLE WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. GOOD AFTERNOON TO YOU. I’M JESSICA BROWN. WE DO HAVE LIVE TEAM COVERAGE ON THIS. NEWSCENTER 5 MATT REED IS AT COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES, BUT WE BEGIN WITH OUR SERA CONGI WHO’S LIVE AT THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE WITH THAT PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION. SARAH. JESSICA. THERE ARE A LOT OF STUDENTS AT THE CAMPUS IN CAMBRIDGE SUPPORTING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS. WHILE THE SAME WAS TRUE HERE AT THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE FOR A HEARING THIS MORNING, THERE WERE SEVERAL STUDENTS, INCLUDING THOSE ON VISAS, BUT MANY OF THEM TOO SCARED TO SPEAK OUT, FEARING RETALIATION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THIS MORNING, THE JUDGE EXTENDED THE TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, WHICH KEEPS THE STATUS QUO FOR STUDENTS AT HARVARD ON VISA VISAS. SHE ALSO INDICATED THAT SHE WOULD GRANT A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION ACKNOWLEDGING WHAT HARVARD LAWYERS SAY IS REAL TIME, REAL HARM IN REAL TIME TO FOREIGN STUDENTS. AND IN ANOTHER TWIST, HOMELAND SECURITY HAS DONE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ABOUT FACE. LAST WEEK, THEY ISSUED AN ORDER THAT WAS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY TO PULL HARVARD FROM THE STUDENT VISA PROGRAM. BUT YESTERDAY AND YOU JUST HEARD JESSICA REFER TO THIS IN OUR STORY, THEY FILED A NOTICE OF THEIR INTENTION TO WITHDRAW. THAT IS DIFFERENT. SO TODAY, THE GOVERNMENT’S ATTORNEYS ARGUED THAT ANY ORDERS THAT THE JUDGE MIGHT IMPOSE ARE UNNECESSARY OR MUTE. BUT THE JUDGE INDICATED SHE WANTS AN ORDER IN PLACE. WHILE THIS LAWSUIT FROM HARVARD MOVES FORWARD, STRESSING THAT NOTHING CAN CHANGE, AT LEAST FOR NOW. LIVE AT THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE. SERA CONGI WCVB NEWSCENTER 5. SARAH. THANK YOU. OUR TEAM COVERAGE CONTINUES WITH NEWSCENTER 5 MATT READ NOW LIVE AT HARVARD’S COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES. AND MATT, THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL GRADUATION DAY. NO, JESSICA, THAT WAS VERY CLEAR EARLY ON THIS MORNING WITH THE NUMBER OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS CREWS HERE, AS WELL AS THE VERY LARGE POLICE PRESENCE FOR HARVARD’S 374TH COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES. IT HAD ALL THE SIGHTS OF A NORMAL COMMENCEMENT, BUT HOVERING OVER CAMBRIDGE THIS MORNING, A CLOUD OF UNCERTAINTY AS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S ATTACKS ON HARVARD CONTINUE. YEAH, ANGRY. I THINK A LOT OF US ARE ANGRY, EXCITED ABOUT MY ACHIEVEMENT AND THE EFFORT THAT I PUT IN TO GET THE DEGREE. I MEAN, OF COURSE, IT’S UNFORTUNATE EVERYTHING GOING ON, BUT I STILL FEEL EXCITED. THE PRESIDENT AND HIS TEAM HAVE CUT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE UNIVERSITY, AND IS NOW TRYING TO PREVENT HARVARD FROM ENROLLING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS. TRUMP, CLAIMING THE BAN WOULD MAKE HARVARD SAFER FOLLOWING CAMPUS PROTESTS OVER THE WAR IN GAZA. IT’S VERY HARD TO PUSH BACK, EVEN FOR AN INSTITUTION AS BIG AS HARVARD. SO A GROUP OF HARVARD ALUMNI ARE HERE HANDING OUT STICKERS TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR HARVARD IN THIS FIGHT FOR ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY. LAWYERS FOR HARVARD TAKING ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN A BOSTON COURTROOM TODAY AS A JUDGE CONSIDERS EXTENDING AN ORDER BARRING THE ATTEMPTED BAN ON INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS. AS THESE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES TRY TO ENJOY A DAY THAT HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING AT A SCHOOL THAT’S FUTURE REMAINS UNCLEAR. TODAY IS A TIME TO COME TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE THE EFFORT THAT ALL THESE STUDENTS PUT IN TO GET THEIR DEGREES AND TO PUT ASIDE, YOU KNOW, OUR FEELINGS ABOUT CERTAIN TOPICS. I THINK I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT MY EXPERIENCE WITH HARVARD HAS NOT BEEN THE IVORY TOWER, THAT GETS PAINTED TO BE A BAD GUY. WISH I COULD STAY HERE LONG TERM, BUT WE’RE HOPING TO COME BACK IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. WHEN THE RESEARCH FUNDING IS BACK AND HOPEFULLY KEEP WORKING ON CRUSHING A LOT OF THE COMMON DISEASES AROUND THE WORLD. AND HARVARD DOES SAY THAT SEVERAL OF THEIR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS DID NOT ATTEND TODAY’S COMMENCEMENT OUT OF FEAR.

A federal judge on Thursday extended an order blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to bar Harvard University from enrolling foreign students.U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs granted Harvard’s request for a preliminary injunction, blocking the government’s action until the case is decided. It had already been paused since last week, when Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order.Harvard sued the Department of Homeland Security on Friday after Secretary Kristi Noem revoked its ability to host foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.On Thursday, the Trump administration announced a new effort to revoke Harvard's certification to enroll foreign students. In a letter sent by the acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, Todd Lyons, the government gave Harvard 30 days to respond to the alleged grounds for withdrawal, which include accusations that Harvard coordinated with foreign entities and failed to respond sufficiently to antisemitism on campus.The dispute over international enrollment at Harvard is the latest escalation in a battle between the White House and the nation’s oldest and wealthiest college. In April, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent a letter to the school, demanding a range of records related to foreign students, including discipline records and anything related to “dangerous or violent activity.” Noem said it was in response to accusations of antisemitism on Harvard’s campus.Harvard says it complied. But on May 22, Noem sent a letter saying the school’s response fell short. She said Harvard was being pulled from the federal program that allows colleges to sponsor international students to get U.S. visas. It took effect immediately and prevented Harvard from hosting foreign students in the upcoming school year.In its lawsuit, Harvard argued that the government failed to follow administrative procedures and regulations that dictate how schools may be removed from eligibility to host international students, which included giving schools the opportunity to appeal and a 30-day window to respond. Wednesday’s notice is in line with those regulations.Already, despite the restraining order, the Trump administration’s efforts to stop Harvard from enrolling international students have created an environment of “profound fear, concern, and confusion,” the university’s director of immigration services said in a court filing on Wednesday.In a court filing, immigration services director Maureen Martin said that countless international students had asked about transferring, and that some domestic students had expressed interest in transferring or deferring because they believed their educational experience would not be the same without an international student body.Martin said that international Harvard students arriving in Boston were sent to additional screening by Customs and Border Protection agents, and that international students seeking to obtain their visas were being denied or facing delays at consulates and embassies.The sanction, if allowed to proceed, could upend some graduate schools that recruit heavily from abroad. Among those at risk was Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth, who just finished her first year in a Harvard graduate program. Some schools overseas quickly offered invitations to Harvard’s students, including two universities in Hong Kong.Trump railed against Harvard on social media after Burroughs temporarily halted the action last week, saying “the best thing Harvard has going for it is that they have shopped around and found the absolute best Judge (for them!) - But have no fear, the Government will, in the end, WIN!”The Trump administration has levied a range of grievances against Harvard, accusing it of being a hotbed of liberalism and failing to protect Jewish students from harassment. The government is demanding changes to Harvard’s governance and policies to bring it in line with the president’s vision.Harvard was the first university to reject the government’s demands, saying it threatened the autonomy that has long made U.S. higher education a magnet for the world’s top scholars. In a pair of lawsuits, Harvard accuses the government of retaliating against the university for rebuffing political demands.___Ma reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Collin Binkley contributed to this report.

BOSTON —

A federal judge on Thursday extended an order blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to bar Harvard University from enrolling foreign students.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs granted Harvard’s request for a preliminary injunction, blocking the government’s action until the case is decided. It had already been paused since last week, when Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order.

Harvard sued the Department of Homeland Security on Friday after Secretary Kristi Noem revoked its ability to host foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

On Thursday, the Trump administration announced a new effort to revoke Harvard's certification to enroll foreign students. In a letter sent by the acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, Todd Lyons, the government gave Harvard 30 days to respond to the alleged grounds for withdrawal, which include accusations that Harvard coordinated with foreign entities and failed to respond sufficiently to antisemitism on campus.

The dispute over international enrollment at Harvard is the latest escalation in a battle between the White House and the nation’s oldest and wealthiest college. In April, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent a letter to the school, demanding a range of records related to foreign students, including discipline records and anything related to “dangerous or violent activity.” Noem said it was in response to accusations of antisemitism on Harvard’s campus.

Harvard says it complied. But on May 22, Noem sent a letter saying the school’s response fell short. She said Harvard was being pulled from the federal program that allows colleges to sponsor international students to get U.S. visas. It took effect immediately and prevented Harvard from hosting foreign students in the upcoming school year.

In its lawsuit, Harvard argued that the government failed to follow administrative procedures and regulations that dictate how schools may be removed from eligibility to host international students, which included giving schools the opportunity to appeal and a 30-day window to respond. Wednesday’s notice is in line with those regulations.

Already, despite the restraining order, the Trump administration’s efforts to stop Harvard from enrolling international students have created an environment of “profound fear, concern, and confusion,” the university’s director of immigration services said in a court filing on Wednesday.

In a court filing, immigration services director Maureen Martin said that countless international students had asked about transferring, and that some domestic students had expressed interest in transferring or deferring because they believed their educational experience would not be the same without an international student body.

Martin said that international Harvard students arriving in Boston were sent to additional screening by Customs and Border Protection agents, and that international students seeking to obtain their visas were being denied or facing delays at consulates and embassies.

The sanction, if allowed to proceed, could upend some graduate schools that recruit heavily from abroad. Among those at risk was Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth, who just finished her first year in a Harvard graduate program. Some schools overseas quickly offered invitations to Harvard’s students, including two universities in Hong Kong.

Trump railed against Harvard on social media after Burroughs temporarily halted the action last week, saying “the best thing Harvard has going for it is that they have shopped around and found the absolute best Judge (for them!) - But have no fear, the Government will, in the end, WIN!”

The Trump administration has levied a range of grievances against Harvard, accusing it of being a hotbed of liberalism and failing to protect Jewish students from harassment. The government is demanding changes to Harvard’s governance and policies to bring it in line with the president’s vision.

Harvard was the first university to reject the government’s demands, saying it threatened the autonomy that has long made U.S. higher education a magnet for the world’s top scholars. In a pair of lawsuits, Harvard accuses the government of retaliating against the university for rebuffing political demands.

___

Ma reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Collin Binkley contributed to this report.

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