Big Setback For Donald Trump As US Judge Blocks Order Directing Harvard University To Stop Enrolling Foreign Students

Massachusetts: A United States Judge has blocked Donald Trump’s order directing Harvard University to stop enrolling foreign students, hours after the varsity sued the US President’s move. The Ivy League school had decried Trump's diktat as unconstitutional retaliation for defying the White House’s political demands.

In its lawsuit filed earlier today in Boston, Harvard said the government’s action violates the First Amendment and will have an “immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders.”

“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission. Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” the institution said in its lawsuit.

Trump's move, that led to an outrage in the Ivy League College, has been blocked by US District Judge Allison Burroughs.

Harvard President calls Trump's order unlawful 

Slamming US President move, Harvard President Dr Alan M Garber termed the order as “unlawful and unwarranted."

“It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country. We will do everything in our power to support our students and scholars,” Garber said in a statement.

On Thursday, the Trump administration revoked Harvard's certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and stripped the University of its authority to sponsor F- and J- visas for international students and scholars for the 2025-26 academic year.

Trump's order is being as his administration's retaliation against Harvard for refusing to surrender academic independence.

In Thursday's statement, White House said, "Enrolling foreign students is a privilege, not a right, accusing Harvard of turning once-great institution into a hotbed of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators.

Students' voice concern over Trump's diktat to Harvard 

Meanwhile, expressing her views on Donald Trump's move directing Harvard to stop enrolling foreign students, a student of the George Washington University said, “I was definitely shocked, and I think there is a reason to worry about it spreading to other universities in America. I don't think it's fair at all, and I'm hopeful that this can be solved before it becomes super widespread…”

"As soon as he was elected, there have been a ton of different reasons to worry, and this is just another thing to add to the list. That is something that everyone is worrying about. But I'm like we've been saying, I'm hopeful that the legal system will be able to fix this issue as soon as possible," she added.

Another student from the George Washington University said, “Many other Americans and I who've gone to universities in this country, a key part of our experience is international students. Many great friends, including friends from India, China, and Eastern Europe, and like these people, they helped define my life... I think not only is it a loss to all the people who come to this country to study, it's a loss to American citizens, and it's something that we're all worried about, something that needs to be stopped…”

"In the broader context of this administration, you have to be hopeful that the judicial system will stop any of the overreached or bad things it does...," he added.