On May 23, the US Judge Allison Burrows suspended for two weeks the decision of the administration of the US President Donald Trump to deprive Harvard University of the right to enroll international students.
Reuters writes about this.
When the head of the US Department of Homeland Security Christie Noem declared the new restrictions on Harvard, she said that the university could restore its certification if it handed over a series of records on international students within 72 hours, including video or audio recordings of their protest activities over the past five years.
However, Harvard filed a lawsuit in federal court in Boston after news that the Trump administration had stripped the institution of its right to enroll international students.
It said that the US presidentʼs decision is a "flagrant violation" of the US Constitution and other federal laws. The university says that the Trump administration, by using coercion to control private freedom of speech, is forcing universities to give up their academic freedom.
Harvard called it an “immediate and devastating impact” on the university and its more than 7 000 visa holders. Harvard enrolled nearly 6 800 international students this academic year, representing 27% of its total student body.
“This revocation continues a series of government actions aimed at retaliating against Harvard for our refusal to relinquish our academic independence and submit to the federal government’s unlawful assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our students,” Harvard President Alan Garber wrote.
The university says the revocation of licenses will force it to cancel thousands of admissions and disrupt “countless” academic programs, clinics, courses and research labs just days before graduation.
The Trump administration may appeal the courtʼs decision. Further hearings are scheduled for May 27 and 29.
What preceded
In March, the US government said it would review $9 billion in funding for Harvard over alleged anti-Semitism, which escalated after student protests against Palestinian rights. A Department of Education task force accused the university of abusing its position and “believing that federal funding does not obligate them to comply with civil rights laws”.
The university was required to limit the influence of activists, create an independent commission to review departments, hire faculty and students solely on merit, without regard to race, color, or nationality, and report violations by international students.
Harvard University rejected the Trump administrationʼs demands and lost $2.2 billion in funding as a result. The university filed a lawsuit. In the lawsuit, Harvard said it is committed to combating anti-Semitism and has taken steps to make its campus safe and welcoming for Jewish and Israeli students. It said the administrationʼs actions pose a threat to academic freedom.
In May, the Trump administration canceled another $450 million in grant funding for Harvard University. The university responded by expanding its previous lawsuit.
- In November 2023, more than 1 600 Jewish alumni stopped donating to Harvard University due to anti-Semitism at rallies in support of Palestine.
- In January 2024, Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned amid allegations of plagiarism and a lackluster response to anti-Semitism at the institution. That same month, several Jewish students filed a lawsuit against the institution, accusing it of tolerating harassment, assault, and intimidation of Jewish students.
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