Court rules proclamation violated constitutional rights, targeted free academic expression
A federal judge has indefinitely blocked the US government from barring Harvard University from enrolling new international students, local media reported Monday.
Judge Allison Burroughs of the US District Court in Massachusetts ruled that Donald Trump's presidential proclamation was part of what she described as “a retaliatory campaign” against the university, according to CNN.
“This case is about core constitutional rights that must be safeguarded: freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom of speech,” Burroughs wrote in a 44-page opinion.
She warned that the government's efforts to “control a reputable academic institution” posed a threat to democracy.
The Trump administration had argued that Harvard failed to properly vet incoming international students and presented the policy as a national security measure.
However, the court rejected that justification.
Burroughs had previously blocked a similar attempt by the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to revoke student visas for international scholars at Harvard – a move that would have forced thousands to leave the US or transfer.
The ruling also affects Trump's broader effort to withhold more than $2 billion in federal funding from Harvard, primarily allocated for medical and scientific research.
The decision comes amid ongoing legal battles over academic freedom and presidential influence on universities viewed as liberal-leaning.
Harvard has also challenged federal grant cuts and restrictions on campus protests related to the conflict in Gaza.
