A US judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from enforcing a ban the president ordered barring Harvard University from accepting international students.
President Donald Trump recently issued a proclamation blocking the entry of foreign students intending to attend Harvard University under F, M, and J visa categories, citing national security concerns. This order took immediate effect and disrupted the academic plans of numerous international students.
The order by Judge Allison Burroughs, who is based in Massachusetts, said the oldest university in the US would face “immediate and irreparable injury” if the proclamation went into effect.
It comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Harvard on Thursday accusing President Donald Trump of waging a “government vendetta” intended to stifle free speech.
Trump has argued that the ban is necessary on national security grounds, and has accused Harvard of not doing enough to stop antisemitism on campus.
Harvard President Alan Garber also issued a statement saying that the Ivy League school was developing contingency plans for international students in the event they are not able to travel to campus.