US District Judge Allison Burroughs has prolonged an order that prevents the Trump administration from prohibiting Harvard University from admitting foreign students. This order had already been suspended since last week when the judge issued a temporary restraining order. Following a letter from the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, demanding that Harvard adhere to the administration’s stipulations or risk losing its ability to enroll foreign students, Harvard initiated legal action against the DHS. Additionally, the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Todd Lyons, communicated to Harvard that the institution has been allotted 30 days by the government to address the purported reasons for withdrawal, which include allegations of fostering antisemitism and violence on campus, as well as collusion with the Chinese Communist Party. In its legal complaint, Harvard contended that the DHS neglected to adhere to administrative protocols and failed to provide the university with a 30-day period to respond. The university’s director of immigration services, Maureen Martin, remarked in a court document that the Trump administration’s attempts to prevent Harvard from enrolling foreign students have engendered an environment of “profound fear, concern, and confusion.” Martin further noted that domestic students have already expressed interest in transferring or deferring their studies, believing that their educational experience would be diminished without an international student presence, and numerous international students have inquired about transferring. Among these students is Cleo Carney, the daughter of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has recently completed her first year at Harvard. She is an undergraduate student enrolled in the resource efficiency program.
