Judge in U.S. halts foreign Harvard students from immigration restrictions

Trump Administration's Crusade Against Harvard: A Timeline

Foreign students attending Harvard University temporarily exempted from U.S. immigration restrictions - Judge in U.S. halts foreign Harvard students from immigration restrictions

Trump's relentless campaign against Harvard University, particularly targeting its foreign student intake, has been a months-long ordeal. Let's delve into the key events and reasons that have sparked this fracas:

Crucial Events at a Glance

1. April 11, 2025:
2. The Trump administration contacts Harvard's president, slamming the university for inadequacies concerning intellectual and civil rights standards. The administration demands changes in management, merit-based hiring, abandonment of DEI programs, and scrutiny of students.
3. April 14, 2025:
4. Harvard balks, and the administration yanks more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts from the school.
5. April 15, 2025:
6. Trump takes to Truth Social, suggesting that Harvard lose its tax-exempt status.
7. April 16, 2025:
8. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) demands data on every international student with an F1 visa, threatening to revoke Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification. Two grants amounting to $2.7 million are also taken away.
9. May 23, 2025:
10. Harvard sues the Trump administration over the attempt to withdraw its Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification.
11. Late May 2025:
12. A U.S. District Judge schedules a hearing regarding the Trump administration's attempt to quash Harvard's right to enroll international students.
13. Early June 2025:
14. The Trump administration Decrees a proclamation barring international students from entering the U.S. to attend Harvard, citing national security concerns and non-compliance with federal agencies. This order halts new admissions under F, M, and J visa categories and sets current international students under review.
15. June 5, 2025:
16. Harvard launches a legal onslaught against the proclamation and seeks a temporary restraining order. Judge Allison Burroughs grants the request, extending the current restraining order and setting a hearing for June 16.
17. June 10, 2025:
18. The U.S. resumes visa processing for Harvard students following a court ruling which obstructs Trump's ban.

Matters of Contention

• National Security Scare: The Trump administration declares that Harvard has flouted federal agencies on information regarding international students, which it links to national security concerns.
• Retribution for Disobedience: Harvard's failure to comply with the administration's demands for governance changes and other conditions has triggered escalating actions against the university.
• Policy on International Students: The administration's broader policy aims to reduce the number of foreign students in the U.S., utilizing measures such as visa restrictions and focusing on specific institutions like Harvard.

In a nutshell, the Trump administration's actions against Harvard reflect a broader strategy to curb higher education institutions and shape international student policies.

1. The travel ban instituted by the Trump administration in early June 2025, barring international students from entering the USA to attend Harvard, was blocked temporarily by US Judge Allison Burroughs on June 5, 2025, allowing education-and-self-development for foreign students at Harvard University.
2. Amidst the ongoing political tussle between the Trump Administration and Harvard University, a notable figure, Allison Burroughs, a US judge in Boston, USA, issued a ruling that for the time being, prevented the travel ban from affecting Harvard students, stressing the importance of general-news events in shaping the future of education and self-development.

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