BREAKING: Trump admin plan to stop Harvard student visa program halted by judge

May 23, 2025

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From Fox News: A court has temporarily paused the Trump administration’s move to cancel Harvard’s student visa program.

Harvard filed suit against the Trump administration over the policy, and a judge granted its request for a temporary restraining order to preserve status quo while the case plays out in court.

Judge Allison Burroughs, a 2014 Obama appointee, set a hearing for 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday in Boston federal court.

Harvard said the policy will affect more than 7,000 visa holders — nearly a quarter of the student body — and is a “blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act,” per its court filing.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) moved to terminate the program after Harvard allegedly failed to provide it with the extensive behavioral records of student visa holders the department requested. DHS offered Harvard 72 hours on Thursday to come into compliance with the request and re-enter into the visa program.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem had announced Thursday:

This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus. It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments.

Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law.

Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.

This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.

It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments… pic.twitter.com/12hJWd1J86

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) May 22, 2025

after announcing that foreign students are being banned from Havard, Noem warns “this should be a warning to every other university to get your act together.” pic.twitter.com/m1agbxGVI6

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 22, 2025

🚨 JUST IN: In a VERY short amount of time, activist Judge Allison Burroughs in Massachusetts blocks the Trump administration from banning Harvard from enrolling international students.

She is an Obama appointee.

This lawsuit was filed just a couple hours ago.

INSANITY. pic.twitter.com/75r8DClh9a

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 23, 2025

“Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” the university complained.

Harvard was founded in 1636 and didn’t have international students until the mid to late 1800s.

Are you saying Harvard wasn’t Harvard for its first 200 years?

— Raheem J. Kassam (@RaheemKassam) May 23, 2025