Daijiworld Media Network – Boston

Boston, Jun 6: In a dramatic turn in the escalating standoff between Harvard University and the Trump administration, the prestigious institution has won a temporary reprieve from a federal court against a proclamation barring its foreign students and researchers from entering the United States.

US District Judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday, halting enforcement of President Donald Trump’s directive that accused Harvard of posing a national security threat due to its alleged failure to report international student misconduct. The judge’s ruling came after Harvard amended a prior lawsuit in Boston federal court that challenged an earlier visa-related action targeting the university.

The court observed that Harvard would suffer “immediate and irreparable injury” if the proclamation was implemented. A hearing on the matter has been scheduled for June 16, while the restraining order will remain in place until June 20.

The White House, however, criticised the decision. Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), stated that the ruling “delays justice” and “seeks to kneecap the President’s constitutionally vested powers.” She reiterated that foreign student admissions are a privilege, not a right, and accused Harvard of profiting from international tuition while refusing to cooperate with federal oversight.

In a statement following the ruling, Harvard President Alan Garber said the university is developing contingency plans to ensure international students and scholars can continue their work at the institution. “We are doing all we can to protect the academic pursuits and contributions of our diverse community,” he said.

President Trump’s executive proclamation, issued Wednesday, had temporarily suspended the entry of international students and visiting researchers affiliated with Harvard. It also called for the review and possible revocation of existing visas and directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider further action unless national interest exemptions applied.

The university, which has over 7,000 foreign students and researchers, has argued that the administration’s actions are retaliatory and politically motivated. In the lawsuit, Harvard lawyers described the government's moves as an "escalating campaign of retaliation" for the institution's refusal to comply with ideological directives, including those related to governance, academic freedom, and campus discourse.

Tensions between the Ivy League institution and the administration have been growing since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. The Trump administration has repeatedly targeted Harvard over its admissions, faculty hiring policies, and its response to campus protests, including pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Trump has threatened to cap foreign student enrollment at Harvard to 15%, revoke its tax-exempt status, and cancel remaining federal contracts. In a separate move this week, the administration also initiated steps to challenge Columbia University's accreditation.

The legal battle is far from over and may be headed to the Supreme Court. In 2018, the top court upheld a Trump-era travel ban affecting several predominantly Muslim countries, underscoring the wide authority a US president holds over immigration.

Meanwhile, students like Abdullah Shahid Sial, the undergraduate student body president who returned to Pakistan after the academic year, remain uncertain about their future in the US. “I think the Trump administration has done a very good job of making international students feel unwelcome,” Sial, 20, remarked.