Court Denies Trump’s Attempt to Exclude Harvard’s International Students

CAMBRIDGE: A U.S. court has halted President Donald Trump’s efforts to prevent Harvard University from enrolling international students.

The presiding judge stated that foreign students must be safeguarded while the legal dispute unfolds. This decision comes as Trump intensifies his criticism of elite universities over allegations of political bias.

Thousands of students donned their crimson-trimmed gowns to celebrate their graduation on Thursday.

Trump has focused his campaign against prestigious universities primarily on Harvard, threatening to withhold funding due to what he describes as liberal bias and anti-Semitic sentiments.

Judge Allison Burroughs indicated that she would soon issue a preliminary injunction to offer “some protection” to international students while both parties contest the legality of Trump’s actions.

“Our students are frightened, and we’re already witnessing transfers to other institutions,” remarked Harvard’s attorney, Ian Gershengorn, during the Boston hearing.

In a last-minute submission before the hearing, the Trump administration formally expressed its intent to revoke Harvard’s authorization to enroll foreign students, initiating the official process.

This notification granted Harvard a 30-day period to provide justification for why it shouldn’t be barred from admitting international students, who currently represent 27% of the university’s total enrollment.

Burroughs had earlier put a temporary stop to the policy and extended that suspension on Thursday while awaiting the new injunction. She expressed her intention to assess whether the actions of Trump’s officials were motivated by retaliation.

A law professor, present in the crowded courtroom, asserted that the Trump administration was exacerbating the distress experienced by students.

“Harvard is stuck in limbo. What options does an international student have?” questioned the Harvard Law School alumni, who chose to remain anonymous.

‘Pride and Acknowledgment’

Burroughs also noted that there existed “the looming possibility of further actions” from the government that could hinder Harvard from accommodating international students.

The Ivy League institution has persistently been a target of Trump’s scrutiny, as it publicly rebuffed his administration’s consistent demands regarding recruitment, curricula, and research priorities.

“Harvard is treating our country with immense disrespect, and their situation is only getting worse,” Trump stated on Wednesday.

Harvard’s President, Alan Garber, received enthusiastic applause when he acknowledged the presence of international students at the graduation ceremony with their families, declaring it to be “the way it should be.” He refrained from directly addressing the ongoing dispute with Trump.

Garber’s comments were met with a standing ovation, which one student described to AFP as a reflection of the community’s pride and approval.

In leading the legal resistance within U.S. academia, Garber has spoken out against Trump’s actions, which have also targeted several other prestigious institutions, including Columbia, which made significant concessions to recover $400 million in lost federal funding.

Garber has acknowledged that Harvard faces challenges related to anti-Semitism and the need to cultivate an environment where diverse viewpoints can be freely expressed.

Graduating student Uzma Farheen from India, who earned a Master of Public Health, stated that the occasion represented “a celebration of the global community.”

“We stand united in embodying what Harvard represents—truth, integrity, and inclusivity,” she expressed to AFP.

Before the ceremony—during which legendary actress Rita Moreno was awarded an honorary degree—members of the Harvard band, clad in crimson blazers, paraded through the narrow streets of Cambridge.

Hundreds of students convened in front of a large stage to listen to speeches—including one delivered entirely in Latin—on a grassy area that was closed off to the public for security reasons.

Many attendees from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government waved inflatable globes to symbolize the school’s international character.

“The past two months have been incredibly challenging. I felt very exposed,” shared 36-year-old Lorena Mejia, a Colombian graduate with a Master in Public Administration, proudly wearing robes that indicated her nationality.