A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from revoking Harvard’s ability to admit international students.
Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued the stay, Reuters reported.
The move follows the school suing after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday revoked its Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. Noem took that action amid a standoff with the school over its handling of antisemitism on campus.
“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 asserted.
“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” Noem said. “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.”
The DHS order required current foreign students enrolled there to leave the school or risk losing their legal status in the U.S., and would affect more than 7,000 current visa holders studying at Harvard.
