Judge issues temporary block on White House plan to bar foreign student enrolment at Harvard

A U.S. judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from revoking Harvard University's ability to enrol foreign students, a move that ratcheted up White House efforts to conform practices in academia to President Donald Trump's policies.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, an appointee of Democratic president Barack Obama, issued the temporary restraining order freezing the policy.

The Trump administration can appeal the ruling.

The move on Thursday was a response to Harvard's refusal to provide information it sought about foreign student visa holders and could be reversed if the university relents, the Trump administration has said.

• Are you a Canadian attending Harvard University? How will the Trump administration's move to bar foreign students affect you and your studies? We'd like to hear from you. Send an email to ask@cbc.ca

In a complaint filed in Boston federal court earlier on Friday, Harvard called the revocation a "blatant violation" of the U.S. Constitution and other federal laws, and said it had an "immediate and devastating effect" on the university and more than 7,000 visa holders.

"With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard's student body, international students who contribute significantly to the university and its mission," Harvard said.

"It is the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government's demands to control Harvard's governance, curriculum, and the 'ideology' of its faculty and students," the 389-year-old university located in Cambridge, Mass., added.

Trump has already frozen several billion dollars in federal grants to Harvard in recent weeks, leading the university to sue to restore the funding. The administration has accused the school of not doing enough to curb antisemitism following pro-Palestinian protests that have emerged in the past two years.

Whereas some other institutions, including fellow Ivy League school Columbia University, have reached settlements after the Trump administration made similar threats, Harvard has resisted through legal objections.

In an editorial published early Friday and entitled "Harvard's international students are people — not pawns," the school's Crimson newspaper wrote: "We have to wonder: How does sending Jewish students from abroad home — including Israelis — root out antisemitism? … What could be more anti-American than banishing potential immigrants who have come to our country to learn and contribute to our society?"

Many world leaders and their children have attended the Ivy League school, including from Canada.

Belgium's Royal Palace said Friday it would follow the developments, as its Princess Elisabeth has just reached the midpoint of Harvard's two-year Public Policy master's degree program.

Hong Kong school looks to capitalize

The most recent order from the Trump administration also accused the university of co-ordinating with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Chinese nationals made up one-fifth of Harvard's foreign student intake in 2024, the university says, and some students were rushing to seek legal advice in the wake of Thursday's bombshell from the White House.

"I think the Chinese community definitely feels like a more targeted entity compared to other groups," Zhang, a 24-year-old studying for the PhD in physics, told Reuters.

"Some friends gave me advice that I should try not to stay in my current accommodation if things escalate, because they think it's possible that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent can take you from your apartment," said Zhang, who did not give his first name for security reasons.

The U.S. action "will only damage the image and international credibility of the United States," China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday, while vowing to "firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests" of its students overseas.

The number of Chinese international students in the United States has dropped to about 277,000 in 2024 from a high of around 370,000 in 2019, driven partly by growing tension between the world's two biggest economies over trade, the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues.

During the first Trump administration, the Justice Department went to bat for Asian students, arguing that they were being discriminated against as a result of Harvard's admission policies. The Supreme Court largely agreed that was the case.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV questioned whether the U.S. would remain a top destination for foreign students, and said it might become necessary for international students to consider other options "when policy uncertainty becomes the norm."

On Friday, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology sought to capitalize, saying it would provide "unconditional offers, streamlined admission procedures, and academic support to facilitate a seamless transition" for affected students.

Harvard students seek advice

Back at Harvard, the most anxious among the Chinese students at the university are those with summer jobs as research assistants tied to their visa status, crucial for future PhD applications, said Zhang Kaiqi. The master's student in public health had been prepared to fly back to China, but changed his mind, with students being advised not to leave the country and wait for official announcements from the school, according to information students were sharing in WhatsApp groups.

As tension has ramped up in recent years between China and the United States, Chinese families have increasingly sent their children to study at universities in other English-speaking countries, such as Australia and Singapore.

Pippa Ebel, an independent education consultant in the southern city of Guangzhou, said while the order did not entirely shut the door to U.S. higher education, it was "likely to be a final nudge towards other destinations."

"It's not going to be a complete turnaround, but a hardening of Chinese parents' existing concerns," said Ebel, who authored a report on Chinese students for British education think-tank HEPI.