By The Sampadak Express
A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s decision to revoke Harvard University’s certification to enroll international students, a move that would have affected thousands of visa holders and disrupted the academic landscape at one of America’s oldest universities.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, appointed by former President Barack Obama, issued the restraining order just hours after Harvard filed an emergency lawsuit in Boston federal court. The university argued that the government’s action was a “blatant violation” of constitutional and federal laws and would have a “devastating effect” on more than 7,000 international students currently enrolled.“
With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body,” the university said in its complaint. “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.”
The Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, had announced the termination of Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, effective with the 2025-2026 academic year. The department cited alleged concerns including Harvard’s handling of antisemitism, violent protests, and supposed connections with the Chinese Communist Party.
In a letter attached to the court complaint, Noem accused Harvard of creating “a hostile learning environment for Jewish students” and demanded within 72 hours a comprehensive trove of materials including video and audio records of international student protests from the past five years as a condition to restore its certification.
The White House dismissed Harvard’s legal action. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, “If only Harvard cared this much about ending the scourge of anti American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators on their campus, they wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with.”
Harvard President Alan Garber strongly condemned the administration’s move in a letter to the university community, calling it “a direct attack on academic independence.” He affirmed that the university has complied with lawful government requests, but resisted political pressure to align with federal narratives.“
This is the latest in a series of retaliatory actions against Harvard for refusing to submit to unlawful government control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body,” Garber said.
The Trump administration’s pressure campaign has extended beyond academia. Law firms that challenged Trump era policies have reported retaliation, and the administration has encouraged reforms at other institutions, such as Columbia University, by withholding federal funding.
While some organizations have made concessions, others like Harvard and prominent law firms are pushing back in court. Harvard’s legal filing warns that revoking its certification would force the university to retract thousands of admissions and disrupt numerous academic programs, especially as the academic year nears its end.
The university maintains that the government’s actions are unconstitutional and infringe on free speech and academic freedom.
