A federal judge has extended a ruling that bars the Trump administration from barring Harvard University from accepting international students.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burrows granted Harvard's request for a preliminary injunction, halting the government's actions until the case is finally decided.
That was already temporarily halted last week when Judge Burrows issued a temporary restraining order.
Harvard filed a lawsuit Friday against the Department of Homeland Security after Secretary Kristi Noem cut off its ability to host international students on its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
On Thursday, the Trump administration announced new efforts to revoke Harvard's certification to admit international students.
In a letter sent to Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director Todd Lyons, the government gave Harvard 30 days to respond to its alleged grounds for withdrawal, including allegations that Harvard coordinated with foreign groups and failed to adequately address anti-Semitism on campus.
The dispute over Harvard's admission of foreign students has become the latest stage in the conflict between the White House and the country's oldest and richest college.
In April, Ms. Noem sent a letter to the university demanding various records related to international students, including disciplinary records and anything related to “dangerous or violent activity.”
Ms. Noem claimed it was in response to accusations of anti-Semitism at Harvard.
Harvard says it has complied. But on May 22, Ms. Noem sent a letter saying the university’s response was unsatisfactory.
She said Harvard was being removed from a federal program that allows colleges to sponsor foreign students for U.S. visas. The decision was effective immediately and prevented Harvard from accepting foreign students next academic year.
In its lawsuit, Harvard alleged that the government failed to follow administrative procedures and rules governing the process of depriving schools of the right to accept foreign students, including providing an opportunity for appeal and a 30-day period to respond.
The notification from Wednesday meets these requirements.
Despite the injunction, the Trump administration's moves to restrict international student admissions have already created a climate of “profound fear, anxiety and confusion,” the university's immigration director wrote in a court filing Wednesday.
In a statement, Immigration Services Director Maureen Martin said many international students had requested transfer information, and that some domestic students had expressed a desire to transfer or defer their studies, believing their educational experience would be different without international students.
Ms. Martin added that Harvard international students arriving in Boston face additional screening by Customs and Border Protection officials, and international students seeking visas face denials or delays at consulates and embassies.
The potential sanctions could hurt some graduate schools that actively recruit students from abroad. Among those at risk was Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, who is completing her first year of graduate study at Harvard. Some overseas schools quickly extended invitations to Harvard students, including two universities in Hong Kong.
Mr Trump criticized Harvard on social media after Judge Burrows temporarily halted the proceedings last week, saying: “The best thing about Harvard is that they found the right judge (for them!) – But have no fear, the government will eventually WIN!”
The Trump administration has leveled a series of accusations against Harvard, accusing it of being a hotbed of liberalism and failing to protect Jewish students from harassment.
The government is demanding changes in Harvard's governance and policies to align them with the president's vision.
Harvard became the first university to reject the government's demands, saying they threatened the autonomy that had long made U.S. higher education attractive to the world's leading scholars.
In two lawsuits, Harvard accuses the government of retaliating against the university for ignoring policy demands.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
