In a legal rebuke to the Trump administration, a federal judge on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction preventing any changes to Harvard University’s student visa program, ordering both sides to preserve the current system while legal proceedings continue.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs handed down the order during a hearing in Boston, instructing the administration not to enforce a recent directive that would have barred Harvard from enrolling international students. Citing the need to “maintain the status quo,” Burroughs said she was not ruling on the underlying merits of the case but was focused on preventing immediate harm to the university and its students.
“It doesn’t need to be draconian,” Judge Burroughs said from the bench. “But I want to make sure it’s worded in such a way that nothing changes.”
The court’s decision comes after weeks of escalating tensions between Harvard and the Trump administration, which had accused the university of fostering “pro-terrorist conduct” on campus and announced plans to revoke its ability to host foreign students under the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
In early May, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) notified Harvard that it would be suspended from the program, giving it 30 days to respond. On April 16, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanded the university submit data on the “criminality and misconduct” of international students and warned of consequences for non-compliance. The administration later imposed a freeze on $3.2 billion in federal grants and contracts with the university.
Harvard swiftly filed a lawsuit, accusing the administration of targeting the school in a “campaign of retribution” for its refusal to implement politically motivated policies, including banning students allegedly “hostile to American values,” conducting ideological audits, and submitting quarterly reports on faculty and student political views.
In court filings, Harvard officials argued that the administration’s actions violated both due process and academic freedom. They also warned of severe academic and financial consequences. International students comprise 27% of the student body, and Harvard President Alan Garber said that losing them would be “devastating to our research, our community, and our mission.”
Burroughs’s injunction directs Harvard and the government to reach a temporary agreement that halts the administration’s efforts without altering the existing visa framework. While the ruling does not end the legal battle, it represents a victory for Harvard in its attempt to shield its international programs from federal interference.
Legal analysts say the judge’s decision signals serious concerns about the administration’s justification for its actions and the lack of procedural safeguards. “This is the judiciary doing what it’s supposed to do—checking executive power and making sure policies aren’t implemented arbitrarily or vindictively,” said Thomas Lee, a constitutional law professor at Fordham University.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a brief court filing before the hearing, the administration argued that national security concerns justified its actions, though it offered no public evidence of criminal activity tied to Harvard’s foreign students.
This clash marks the latest chapter in a broader pattern of conflict between the Trump administration and elite universities. Critics say the administration has sought to reshape higher education by leveraging funding and immigration controls to enforce ideological conformity.
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