Judge temporarily blocks Trump ban on foreign students at Harvard

A US judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration's move to bar foreign students from Harvard amid a worsening fight between the White House and the elite university, a court filing showed.

"The Trump administration is hereby enjoined from implementing... the revocation of Plaintiff's SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) certification," ordered judge Allison Burroughs.

Harvard sued the Trump administration on Friday over its move to block the prestigious university from enrolling and hosting foreign students in a broadening dispute, a court filing showed.

On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll foreign nationals, throwing the future of thousands of students into doubt.

President Donald Trump is furious at Harvard – which has produced 162 Nobel prize winners – for rejecting his demand that it submit to oversight on admissions and hiring over his claims that it is a hotbed of anti-Semitism and "woke" liberal ideology.

His administration has already threatened to put USD 9 billion of government funding to Harvard under review, gone on to freeze a first tranche of USD 2.2 billion of grants and USD 60 million of official contracts, as well as targeting a Harvard Medical School researcher for deportation.

"It is the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government's demands to control Harvard's governance, curriculum, and the 'ideology' of its faculty and students," said the lawsuit filed in Massachusetts federal court.

The loss of foreign nationals – more than a quarter of its student body – could prove costly to Harvard, which charges tens of thousands of dollars a year in tuition.

Harvard President Alan Garber said in a statement Friday that "we condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action.

"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 who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams," he said.

"We have just filed a complaint, and a motion for a temporary restraining order will follow."

Noem had said Thursday that "this administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus."

Chinese students make up more than a fifth of Harvard's international enrollment, according to university figures, and Beijing said the decision will "only harm the image and international standing of the United States."

"The Chinese side has consistently opposed the politicization of educational cooperation," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

Harvard has already sued the US government over a separate raft of punitive measures.