The Trump Administration’s attempt to deny international students admission to Harvard is temporarily blocked by a judge

The Trump administration’s plan to cancel international students’ enrollment at Harvard University has been temporarily halted by a federal judge.

The White House’s attempt to align academic institutions with President Donald Trump’s political agenda was halted on Friday when a US district judge temporarily banned the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke Harvard University’s authority to admit international students.

The ruling, which was issued by US District Judge Allison Burroughs, gave thousands of overseas students who could have been displaced by the policy urgent but temporary relief. The administration’s action was characterized by Harvard as revenge for the university’s reluctance to “surrender its academic independence.”

The decision postpones enforcement for two weeks, and hearings to decide on next measures are set for May 27 and 29. Burroughs, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, said in a brief statement that Harvard had shown it may be irreparably damaged before the court could examine the matter in its entirety.

The decision to revoke its Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification was referred to as a “blatant violation” of the US Constitution and other federal statutes by Harvard in a complaint it filed earlier Friday in a federal court in Boston. More than 7,000 international students and the institution’s operations would be negatively impacted “immediately and devastatingly,” according to the university.

“Harvard is not Harvard without its international students,” the 389-year-old university stated in its court document. Approximately 27% of Harvard’s current student body is made up of international students.

On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security, under the leadership of Secretary Kristi Noem, declared that Harvard’s SEVP accreditation will be revoked. The decision is expected to go into effect during the 2025–2026 school year. Requests for comment on the decision were not answered by the Justice Department or the Homeland Security Department.

The action against Harvard is a part of Trump’s larger effort to get organizations that are typically viewed as politically independent—like law firms, media outlets, universities, and courts—to adopt his views. In recent years, there have been attempts to deport international students who took part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, take revenge on law firms that hired lawyers who disagreed with him, and even consider impeaching a judge over an unfavorable immigration decision.

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Harvard has already resisted Trump’s efforts. Prior to this, the institution filed a lawsuit to recoup over $3 billion in federal grant funds that the administration had suspended or canceled.