Trump administrator blocked from banning international students at Harvard: NPR

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration's efforts to defend Harvard University, preventing it from enrolling.

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A federal judge said she would issue a preliminary injunction that would allow Harvard to continue enrolling in international students — at least for the time being, the Trump administration has stopped in efforts to ban such behavior.

Lawyers at Harvard and Trump administrations heard Thursday in a crowded court in Boston’s case on Thursday a government attempt to revoke schools’ ability to recruit students and scholars to obtain international visas.

People exit Harvard yard at Harvard University on the Harvard campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts and pass through the gate.

The move comes after the interim restraining order approved by the same judge Allison D. Burroughs last Friday.

“To me, it represents some kind of temporary relief,” said Ella Ricketts, a first-year student at Harvard. She will soon start her internship and worry that she will not be able to do it without obstacles. She said she wouldn't label it as a victory. “Obviously, I'm staying optimistic and hopeful, but it's just one step in a bigger process.”

On April 17, a person held a Harvard folder while at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Harvard almost has 7,000 international studentsaccounting for more than a quarter of the student body. more than 1.1 million international students Study in American universities and universities in the 2023-'24 academic year. They are not eligible for federal financial aid, so for many universities, they represent a crucial financial life span.

Harvard University graduation ceremony was held at the same time as the hearing. As part of the celebration, Harvard President Alan Garber Speak to graduates Tribute to the ongoing lawsuit. He said: “Members of the 2025 grade are welcome. Comments are applause and sensational applause.

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Trump administration lawyers ahead of Thursday's hearing Submit court documents Harvard has 30 days to revoke its ability to enroll international students. In court, federal lawyers argued that the injunction was inappropriate because it gave the school a 30-day response. In response, Blaus replied: “I would feel more comfortable if we had an order”, adding that she wanted international students to have more certainty about their visa status.

According to court documentsHarvard lawyers believe Trump administration officials have a vendetta against colleges and have been picked out by their “verbal, perceived views and refusal to hand over their academic independence or abandon their constitutional rights.” The documents include the president’s social media posts as evidence.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified on the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 20, 2025 at the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on the State, Foreign Action and Related Programs of the Dixon Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.

The Trump administration argued that Harvard “failed to maintain the campus environment, without violence and anti-Semitism” and Accuse the school “Coordinate with the Communist Party of China.” Therefore, it considers it necessary to deprive international students of enrollment. The Harvard president acknowledged that the school had anti-Semitism issues and outlined in a letter to the administration how the school worked to make changes.

Wbur's Carrie Jung Contributed to this report in Boston.