Judge halts Trump decree on foreign students

A federal judge on Thursday approved the University’s request to prevent an executive order by President Trump prohibiting foreign students from arriving in the U.S. to enroll at Harvard.

Judge Allison Burroughs of U.S. District Court in Massachusetts had previously stopped the administration’s attempt to end Harvard’s involvement in the Student Exchange Visa Program. Her decision came mere hours after the University revised its visa lawsuit in light of the executive order, which was enacted Wednesday.

The visa initiative and the executive order are part of an “increasing series of retaliatory measures by the government in blatant retribution for Harvard’s exercise of its First Amendment rights to resist the government’s attempts to dictate Harvard’s governance, curriculum, and the ‘philosophy’ of its faculty and students,” the University’s complaint states.

In a communication to the Harvard community Thursday, President Alan Garber labeled the Trump order “yet another unlawful action taken by the administration to retaliate against Harvard.”

On Friday, Garber mentioned that the Schools are collaborating “to ensure that our international students and scholars can continue their academic pursuits fully.” Moreover, the Harvard International Office is helping students whose plans have been disrupted by the government’s actions.

Burroughs has scheduled a June 16 hearing for additional discussions on the case.