A U.S. District Court Judge has ruled that the federal government isn't allowed to make any permanent changes to Harvard University's student visa program. U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs said on Thursday that she will order the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department not to make any changes to Harvard's student visa program.
"I want to maintain the status quo," Burroughs said, supporting the idea of allowing Harvard to resume accepting international students and visa holders and urged both parties to work out a deal to temporarily lift the freeze on the student's visa program, CNN reported as the details were still being hashed out in court.
Another Setback for Trump
"It doesn't need to be draconian, but I want to make sure it's worded in such a way that nothing changes," Burroughs said. Harvard's lead attorney, Ian Gershengorn, added that he wants to ensure no "shenanigans" to take place once the order is in place.
Hours before the intense legal clash began, the administration filed a legal notice giving Harvard 30 days to defend its right to continue admitting foreign students under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.
On Wednesday, President Trump said that Harvard should cut its international student population by half to help "make Harvard great again," setting a cap of 15 percent compared to the current 27.2 percent of international enrollees.
"We have people who want to go to Harvard and other schools, [but] they can't get in because we have foreign students there," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
Trump has also warned that Harvard could lose roughly $3.3 billion in federal funding if it doesn't comply with certain demands aimed at curbing antisemitism on campus. He even suggested redirecting that money to vocational schools instead.
Harvard at the Center of Controversy
Meanwhile, just six miles from a courtroom hearing on the matter, Harvard held its 2025 commencement ceremony. University President Alan Garber, who has pledged to "stand firm" in the dispute with the administration, was cheered as he greeted the crowd of nearly 32,000 gathered in Harvard Yard.
The graduation ceremony was prepped with several anti-Israel and anti-Trump remarks and protests. According to the Harvard Crimson, around 50 protesters lined Massachusetts Avenue holding signs with messages like "support students punished for opposing genocide" and "stop arming Israel."
During the graduation ceremony, a brief confrontation broke out between campus police and two people who unfurled a banner that read "there are no universities left in Gaza" on the steps of Widener Library. The Harvard Crimson described the scene as "heated."
Police confiscated the banner, and one of the protesters was heard shouting, "give me my flag back" at an officer. It remains unclear whether the people involved had any official ties to Harvard.
Elsewhere on campus, another protest banner was hung from a second-story window of Sever Hall. It read, "Harvard divest from genocide in Gaza" in bold black and red letters.
A small group of graduates in their caps and gowns near the building turned to take pictures of the banner before campus police quickly took it down. According to the report, three university officials went into the building to try to identify who was responsible, but they were unsuccessful.
