A US judge temporarily blocked a proclamation by President Donald Trump that prevented international students from entering the US to study at Harvard University.US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston determined that Harvard would face “immediate and irreparable injury” before she could properly hear arguments from all parties involved in the legal proceedings.Additionally, Burroughs prolonged the provisional suspension she had previously imposed on the administration’s earlier effort to terminate Harvard’s international student enrolment.The proclamation, announced on Wednesday, represented another effort by the Trump administration to separate America’s oldest and most affluent university from 25 per cent of its students, who contribute significantly to Harvard’s academic and research achievements.Earlier that day, Harvard submitted a legal petition requesting the federal judge to halt Trump’s directive, describing it as unlawful retribution for Harvard’s stance against White House requirements. Harvard’s amended legal filing on Thursday argued that the president was trying to circumvent a previous judicial ruling.“Singling out our institution for its enrollment of international students and its collaboration with other educational institutions around the world is yet another illegal step taken by the Administration to retaliate against Harvard,” Harvard president Alan M. Garber said in a letter to the campus community.“As you know, we recently obtained a temporary restraining order enjoining the Administration’s illegal revocation of Harvard’s Student Exchange Visa Program (SEVP) certification. Last night’s proclamation circumvents that court order. Today, we have amended our lawsuit and will ask the court to immediately halt the enforcement of the proclamation. We hope the court will act swiftly,” he added.The ongoing showdown stems from Harvard’s refusal to submit to a series of federal government demands. The situation escalated recently after the department of homeland security said Harvard refused to provide records related to misconduct by foreign students.Trump had already froze more than $2.2 billion in funding and now had terminated $450 million in grants to the country’s oldest university.Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the US President has repeatedly criticised the university for its perceived inadequate protection of Jewish students. In response, Harvard has broadened its legal challenge against the Trump administration, contesting both the suspension of federal funding and what the institution considers to be demands that compromise its autonomy and violate constitutional principles.
