Foreign Students Allowed to Enter Harvard Temporarily, Despite Government Restrictions
Judge in U.S. temporarily halts foreign Harvard students from being denied entry under travel bans - Judge in U.S. halts foreign student entry restrictions issued by the federal government, favoring Harvard University.
In a surprising turn of events, Harvard University can temporarily welcome new international students, as a judge has halted the government's ban. The U.S. President, known for his contentious relationship with the prestigious institution, had announced travel restrictions for these students last week, citing the university's "inappropriate" behavior and national security concerns[1][2].
The Ministry of Education filed a complaint against Harvard, accusing it of harboring violence, antisemitism, and collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party[3]. However, the most prestigious university in the nation fought back and is now reaping the benefits.
An amended complaint, filed on Thursday, alleges that the Trump administration's actions were a "coordinated and escalating campaign of retribution" against Harvard for refusing to allow government control over its leadership, teaching plans, and the "ideology" of its faculty and students[4].
In the past, the Trump administration attempted to prohibit Harvard from accepting international students. The case went to court, and a judge, suspected to be Judge Burroughs, struck down the ban[5]. Now, it's Burroughs who's advocating for Harvard, granting a temporary reprieve to the embattled Ivy League University.
Officials criticize the elite university for its pro-Palestinian demonstrations and the President's alleged antisemitic comments[6]. In response, the U.S. government has cut federal funding to Harvard by billions, threatening to reduce all remaining federal funds. Harvard has refused to abolish diversity programs and has expressed concerns over government scrutiny[7].
While the final verdict is yet to be decided, for now, international students can join their fellow scholars at Harvard, though with uncertainty looming over their long-term prospects.
- Harvard
- International Students
- Donald Trump
- Allison Burroughs
- Ivy League University
- Boston
- USA
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/05/us/politics/harvard-trump-visa-ban.html[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56959321[3] https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administration-accuses-harvard-fostering-facilitating-violence-antisemitism/story?id=72321382[4] https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/06/05/harvard-sues-trump-administration-retribution-sanctions/[5] https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/05/us/harvard-trump-international-students/index.html[6] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-harvard-cuts-federal-funding-pro-palestinian-demonstrations/[7] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/harvard-university-faces-trump-administration-sanctions-2025-04-16/
- However, a US judge, Allison Burroughs, has temporarily paused the travel ban imposed by President Donald Trump to allow elite university, Harvard, to admit new foreign students, providing a respite for the Ivy League University temporarily based in Boston, USA.
- Meanwhile, the ongoing tension between the Trump administration and Harvard, known for allegations such as harboring violence, antisemitism, and collaboration with the Chinese Communist Party, has escalated to the point of policy-and-legislation and politics, with the administration threatening to cut federal funding, citing reasons such as pro-Palestinian demonstrations and concerns over general-news and learning.
- In an amended complaint filed this week, Harvard challenges the administration's actions as a "coordinated and escalating campaign of retribution", putting education-and-self-development and online-education at stake for the affected international students.
