Judge halts Trump's ban on foreign students at Harvard – for now

A US federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's move to revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll international students.

United States Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the revocation on Thursday, and noted that existing foreign students would need to transfer or risk losing their legal status. Harvard filed a lawsuit the next day, prompting District Judge Allison Burroughs to issue a temporary order. An injunction hearing is set for May 29.

According to university data, more than 27 percent of Harvard's students come from overseas, and over one-fifth of those students are from China.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the Trump administration's action, warning that politicizing educational cooperation would harm the United States' image and international credibility.

The legal clash marks the second time Harvard has sued the Trump administration in recent months, underscoring escalating tensions between elite universities and the administration over academic governance and institutional autonomy.