Harvard sues Trump admin over ban on enrolling international students

Harvard University has sued the Trump administration over a ban on enrolling international students, calling it unconstitutional and warning it could impact over 7,000 visa holders at the institution

Harvard University has taken legal action against the Donald Trump administration after it was barred from enrolling international students. The US government has claimed that the university showed tolerance for “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” on campus.

 

Harvard has called the ban unconstitutional and accused the administration of punishing the institution for resisting political pressure. In its lawsuit filed in a federal court in Boston, the university said the action violates the First Amendment and could severely impact over 7,000 international students.

 

“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,” the lawsuit states. “This revocation is a blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act,” the suit adds.

 

Temporary restraining order sought

The university announced it would request a temporary restraining order to stop the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from enforcing the decision. 

 

Currently, Harvard has around 6,800 international students at its Cambridge campus, most of whom are graduate students from over 100 countries.

 

Earlier, on Thursday (May 22), the DHS withdrew Harvard’s certification to admit foreign students. This marks another step in what Harvard believes is an ongoing campaign by President Donald Trump’s administration to punish the university.

 

In a message to the Harvard community, university president Alan Garber said the move was retaliation “for our refusal to surrender our academic independence and to submit to the federal government’s illegal assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body.”

 

“We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action,” Garber wrote. He confirmed that Harvard would seek a temporary restraining order to stop the revocation, which would otherwise place about 7,000 students at immediate risk of losing their visa status. If these students remain in the U.S. without valid visas, they could face deportation.

DHS accusations

According to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L Noem, the university’s certification was revoked due to claims that it allowed “anti-American, pro-terrorist” individuals to cause disruptions and hosted members of a Chinese Communist Party paramilitary group.

 

Noem accused Harvard of fostering an environment where individuals could “harass and physically assault” others and “obstruct its once-venerable learning environment.”

Lawsuit over research funding freeze

Previously, Harvard filed a separate lawsuit against the Trump administration over a freeze on research funding. 

 

The university argued that the freeze — affecting over $2.2 billion in research support — was “flatly unlawful” and violated constitutional protections. It asked the court to lift the freeze and prevent the government from blocking current or future funding without following proper legal procedures.

 

Harvard’s complaint stated that the First Amendment prevents the government from using legal or financial pressure to silence views it disagrees with. The university warned that the funding freeze could disrupt important research and jeopardise jobs.

 

The lawsuit explained that unless the funding is restored, research involving live cell lines and other critical work could be significantly scaled back.