US Judge Blocks Trump Order Targeting Harvard's Foreign Students

A US District Judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a presidential proclamation targeting foreign students, offering Harvard University a legal reprieve in its ongoing battle with the federal government, Bloomberg reported.

Judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order, stating that Harvard would suffer “immediate and irreparable injury” if the proclamation were allowed to take effect.

The decision marks a significant setback for the administration in its intensifying conflict with the university over the status of international students.

The ruling came after Harvard amended an earlier lawsuit filed on 23 May, challenging a separate federal directive to halt the university’s enrollment of foreign students. Judge Burroughs had already blocked that earlier order.

President Trump issued the new proclamation on Wednesday, claiming Harvard’s alleged refusal to provide details about misconduct involving international students posed a national security risk.

The order barred international students and researchers linked to Harvard from entering the United States. A month earlier, the administration had revoked the university’s authority to sponsor student visas.

Harvard President Alan Garber responded quickly, urging the court to act. “While the court considers our request, contingency plans are being developed to ensure that international students and scholars can continue to pursue their work at Harvard this summer and through the coming academic year,” he said in a statement.

Judge Burroughs had previously blocked the government’s move to remove Harvard from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program managed by the Department of Homeland Security.

Her new ruling opens the door for the case to potentially reach the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 2018 narrowly upheld a presidential travel ban affecting mostly Muslim-majority countries, reinforcing broad executive powers over immigration.

Also Read: $20 Billion Infra Push: India Targets Port-Led Growth With Major Investment In Logistics, Trade Corridors And Shipbuilding