Elite universities have a history of anti-American activities.
A day of reckoning loomed.
But an Obama judge made this jaw-dropping decision that had Trump officials seeing red.
Obama-appointed judge blocks Trump administration from stripping Harvard of foreign student program
A federal judge has delivered a significant blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to hold Harvard University accountable for alleged antisemitism and ties to China, blocking a controversial move that would have prevented thousands of foreign students from attending the elite institution.
U.S. District Judge Allison Dale Burroughs, appointed by former President Barack Obama, issued a temporary restraining order on Friday that prevents the Department of Homeland Security from revoking Harvard’s ability to enroll international students.
The ruling comes just hours after Harvard filed an emergency complaint challenging the administration’s decision, which would have affected over 7,000 visa holders currently studying at the university.
Noem cites antisemitism and Chinese influence in Harvard crackdown
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem had announced the administration’s intention to terminate Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, effectively cutting off the university’s ability to host international students.
“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” Noem wrote on X. “It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments.”
“Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused,” she added. “They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law.”
Harvard faces billions in frozen funding amid escalating tensions
The move against Harvard follows months of escalating tensions between the university and the Trump administration. Last month, officials froze more than $2.7 billion in multi-year research grants and $60 million in contracts for the school. The administration cited Harvard’s handling of anti-Jewish protests on campus as the primary justification for these punitive measures.
Harvard’s legal team filed their complaint, in which the university characterized the administration’s actions as a “blatant violation” of the U.S. Constitution and federal laws, just two hours before Judge Burroughs issued her ruling.
Obama appointee’s ruling temporarily saves Harvard’s international program but highlights just how big it is
The move would potentially have what Harvard deemed an “immediate and devastating effect” on the institution and its substantial international student population, which makes up approximately 25% of Harvard’s student body.
The court’s intervention represents yet another clash between the judicial branch and the Trump administration’s aggressive policy agenda.
