A federal judge in Massachusetts has temporarily halted U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest executive order that sought to bar international students from attending Harvard University.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued the temporary restraining order on Thursday evening, just hours after Harvard filed an emergency request to expand an earlier injunction to include the president’s most recent directive. 

The court order prevents the federal government from enforcing or implementing Trump’s proclamation until the legal challenge is fully reviewed.

In her ruling, Judge Burroughs stated that Harvard would face “immediate and irreparable harm” if the executive order were allowed to proceed. 

The order had aimed to block entry into the United States for foreign nationals intending to study at Harvard, a move the university described as politically motivated.

The court’s latest intervention follows an earlier restraining order granted in May that stopped the Department of Homeland Security from stripping Harvard’s access to a federal system tracking international students on U.S. visas.

On Wednesday, Trump had issued a new executive order claiming the measure was necessary to prevent a “class of aliens” from entering the country under the pretext of education, arguing their presence would be “detrimental” to national interests. 

However, Harvard strongly rejected the justification, alleging the move was part of an ongoing campaign by the president to punish the university.

“The President’s actions are not about protecting U.S. interests, but reflect a continued effort to target Harvard,” the university said in its revised legal complaint.

Trump’s conflict with elite academic institutions has intensified since his second term began. 

He has accused universities of failing to respond firmly to student protests over the war in Gaza, labeling the campus demonstrations as anti-Semitic and threatening the removal of foreign student protesters.

Columbia University previously faced similar retaliation, losing $400 million in federal funds before complying with government demands. 

Harvard, however, refused to follow suit, citing threats to academic freedom. In response, the administration moved to revoke its tax-exempt status and restrict access to federal research grants.

Harvard’s legal battle with the Trump administration continues as the court reviews the broader constitutional implications of the president’s actions.

Source: Al Jazeera 

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