Harvard Sues Trump Over Ban on Foreign Student Enrollment/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Harvard University is suing the Trump administration over its decision to bar the school from enrolling foreign students, calling the move unconstitutional. The policy threatens over 7,000 international students on campus.
Harvard Sues Trump Administration – Quick Looks
- Lawsuit Filed: Harvard files federal suit to block international student enrollment ban
- Students Affected: Over 7,000 visa-holding students potentially impacted
- Filed In: Federal court in Boston on Friday
- Core Argument: Violation of First Amendment, academic freedom
- Administration’s Justification: DHS cites campus safety, links to China, and pro-terrorist activity
- School Response: Harvard denies allegations, defends free expression
- TRO Expected: University seeks temporary restraining order to stop enforcement
- Global Reach: Harvard students represent more than 100 countries
- Controversial Request: DHS wants protest-related footage and student records
- Separate Legal Battle: Harvard also suing over $2B in federal funding cuts
Deep Look: Harvard Sues Trump Administration Over Foreign Student Ban
WASHINGTON — Harvard University is taking the Trump administration to court, calling its latest move to ban international student enrollment a constitutional overreach driven by political retaliation.
In a lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Boston, the Ivy League institution claims the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) violated the First Amendment by abruptly revoking its ability to enroll foreign students. The ban, Harvard says, would immediately impact more than 7,000 students from over 100 countries — roughly a quarter of its total student population.
“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body,” the lawsuit reads. “International students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission are being targeted in a politically motivated attack.”
The university is also preparing to request a temporary restraining order to stop DHS from enforcing the decision, calling it devastating to Harvard’s educational and global mission.
DHS Cites Campus Violence, CCP Ties
The Department of Homeland Security announced the revocation Thursday, accusing Harvard of hosting “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” and failing to protect Jewish students on campus. The department further claimed the school had recently collaborated with members of a Chinese paramilitary group, allegedly providing training sessions as late as 2024.
The White House has not offered concrete evidence to support these allegations but insists that the order is justified to ensure national security and public safety.
Harvard Responds to Allegations and Defends Free Speech
Harvard President Alan Garber has denounced the claims, emphasizing that the university is committed to academic freedom, civil liberties, and the safety of all students.
Garber acknowledged that Harvard has made significant reforms to address campus antisemitism over the past 18 months, but warned the administration’s actions appear designed to “punish the institution for its values.”
“We will not waver in defending legally protected principles,” Garber said earlier this month. “Retaliation should not be a tool used against America’s institutions of higher education.”
The university said it would provide a fuller response to the allegations made by DHS and House Republicans, particularly those involving Chinese partnerships, in the coming weeks.
Controversial Demand for Student Records
The legal action follows a contentious April 16 letter from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding that Harvard hand over extensive records of its international students. The request includes video and audio recordings of foreign students involved in any protest activity that could be deemed “violent or disruptive,” as well as other academic and conduct-related data.
Noem claimed Harvard could regain its student visa authority if it complied with the demands within 72 hours — a deadline Harvard officials say is both legally and logistically unreasonable.
Critics say the request could violate federal privacy laws and chill constitutionally protected speech on campus.
Broader Legal Showdown
This lawsuit comes amid a wider legal and political feud between Harvard and the Trump administration. The university is separately challenging a sweeping $2 billion cut in federal funding tied to what officials claim is a broader effort to undermine public trust in elite academic institutions.
In 2020, Harvard joined other universities in successfully suing the Trump administration to block an earlier attempt to revoke student visas from foreign nationals attending online-only classes during the pandemic.
Legal analysts say this latest lawsuit could become a landmark case involving the balance of academic autonomy, immigration law, and political retaliation.
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