BOSTON, Jun 17 (Alliance News): A federal judge has extended a temporary restraining order blocking former President Donald Trump’s proclamation barring foreign nationals from entering the United States to study at Harvard University.
The extension runs through June 23, giving the court more time to consider whether to issue a longer-term injunction.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, who is overseeing Harvard’s legal challenge, said on Monday she needed additional time to prepare her ruling.
“We’ll kick out an opinion as soon as we can,” she said at the conclusion of a hearing in Boston.
The dispute stems from a proclamation signed by Trump on June 5, which cites national security concerns to justify suspending the entry of international students to Harvard and exchange programs for six months.
The order also instructs Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider revoking existing student visas.
Harvard’s lawyer, Ian Gershengorn, argued that the proclamation was retaliation against the university for resisting government interference in its internal affairs, including governance, curriculum, and ideology. He claimed the measure violated Harvard’s First Amendment rights.
“The proclamation is a plain violation of the First Amendment,” Gershengorn told the court.
Nearly 6,800 international students attended Harvard during the most recent academic year, comprising about 27% of its student body. Many come from China and India, making the university particularly vulnerable to the ban.
Trump’s proclamation came after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, on May 22, revoked Harvard’s certification to host international students. That decision was quickly blocked by Judge Burroughs, who signaled on May 29 that she intended to issue a “broad” injunction to preserve the status quo.
However, Trump’s subsequent proclamation added a new layer of legal complexity. The U.S. Justice Department has asked Judge Burroughs not to combine Trump’s action with Noem’s, noting that the proclamation does not impact current visa holders and rests on different legal grounds.
Harvard has filed two separate lawsuits seeking to unfreeze $2.5 billion in federal funding and preserve its ability to enroll international students. The court’s next ruling could set a precedent for the limits of executive power over academic institutions.
