Judge Temporarily Lifts Federal Ban of International Students at Harvard University

Federal District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order blocking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s revocation of Harvard’s authorization to have international students.

The TRO allows international students to remain enrolled at the school while the case progresses in court. Next week the next hearing in the case is scheduled, and so is commencement for graduating students which could not include international students if Noem’s action took effect unimpeded.

Harvard’s lawsuit against revocation of its Student Exchange and Visitor Program certification includes Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi as defendants. Harvard says its SEVP revocation is “clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment right to control Harvard’s governance, curriculum and the ‘ideology’ of its faculty and students.”

Earlier this year, the federal government demanded to make changes to Harvard’s curriculum and other aspects of its operations, audit its faculty, monitor its staff and students, make hiring decisions to conform with federal dictates, and in general force the university to Donald Trump’s ideology. Harvard refused. Ever since then, the government has inflicted punishments on Harvard and Harvard has fought the punishments in court.

In issuing the TRO, Burroughs called the Noem’s action a “blatant violation of the Constitution.” She said it would cause “immediate and irreparable injury” to the institution if allowed to take effect while the court considers Harvard’s lawsuit.

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