Latest news with #JudgeAllisonBurroughs
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘That Harvard education is paying off for you': Judge jabs at Trump lawyer in Harvard case
Judge Allison D. Burroughs, who is overseeing Harvard University's lawsuit against the Trump administration over canceled government funding for the university, isn't being shy with her commentary on the suit. During a court hearing Monday, Burroughs characterized a Trump administration argument as 'a little bit mind-boggling.' President Donald Trump, for his part, took to Truth Social to take aim at Burroughs on Monday, calling her a 'TOTAL DISASTER' and an 'automatic 'loss' for the People of our Country.' During the Monday court date, Burroughs questioned Michael Velchik, the lawyer representing the Trump administration, who is also a Harvard alum. 'Lonely over there?' Burroughs asked Velchik at the beginning of the hearing, who was met by eight lawyers from two cases on the Harvard side. 'The executive branch speaks with one voice,' Velchik said. During the hearing, Burroughs pushed back on whether the federal government could cancel grants across the institution en masse without substantially proving that researchers or labs had engaged in antisemitism. This is what she characterized as a 'little bit mind-boggling' and said that 'there's no documentation, no procedure.' She added that the 'consequences of that in terms of the constitutional law are staggering to me.' She said that taking away grants from labs and researchers could hurt 'Americans and Jews.' Velchik argued that it is under the federal government's authority to terminate any funding that doesn't align with federal priorities. Holding up a black binder with Harvard's report on antisemitism, he said it is clear there is an issue at the university. 'You're waving that around,' the judge shot back, noting that the report was made public after the White House began taking action against Harvard. He said the institution hasn't been adequately addressing the issue. 'How do you know that Harvard is not complying?' Burroughs said. While she seemed to mostly aim her questions at the Trump administration's lawyer, she gave Velchik a brief — albeit pointed — compliment. 'I hear what you are saying, and you're saying it very well. That Harvard education is paying off for you,' Burroughs said. In his Truth Social post on Monday, Trump pointed to Harvard as an institution that is 'anti-Semitic, anti-Christian and anti-America' and implied that Burroughs will rule in the university's favor. 'When she rules against us, we will IMMEDIATELY appeal, and WIN. Also, the Government will stop the practice of giving many Billions of Dollars to Harvard, much of which had been given without explanation. It is a longtime commitment to Fairness in Funding Education, and the Trump Administration will not stop until there is VICTORY,' Trump said. What has happened between the Trump admin and Harvard? The Trump administration has gone after Harvard since April, cutting billions of dollars. Demanding an overhaul of Harvard's leadership structure, admissions and hiring — the federal government warned the school could risk losing $9 billion in funding. Harvard rejected those demands, stating they seek to 'invade university freedoms long recognized by the Supreme Court.' Then the fight over funding occurred. It began with a $2.2 billion funding freeze on April 14 after the school refused to comply with the federal administration's demands. In response, Harvard filed a lawsuit on April 21, arguing that its constitutional rights had been violated by the government's threats to pull billions of dollars in funding. Harvard President Alan Garber also signed onto a letter with hundreds of other university presidents pushing back against 'government overreach and political interference' by the Trump administration. At the beginning of May, the Trump administration said it would bar Harvard University from acquiring new federal grants while the school continues to refuse to comply with the administration's demands for change on its campus. A few days later, eight federal agencies cut $450 million in grants and then the United States Department of Health and Human Services cut $60 million in grants from the university. Harvard went on to amend its lawsuit against the Trump administration. On May 16, a wave of nearly one thousand federal research grant terminations began, amounting to more than $2.4 billion, according to an analysis by Nature. In response, Harvard established a new Presidential Priorities Fund, asking for donations in the midst of federal cuts. Some of Harvard's schools, including its School of Public Health, took to social media to ask for donations after nearly every single federal grant had been terminated. Other investigations and threats have been made against the institution, some of which have also focused on threatening the university's ability to enroll international students. That is the university's second lawsuit. More Higher Ed As Harvard faces federal funding cuts, its medical school secures new donations Federal judge questions cuts to Harvard's federal funding, its links to antisemitism How Massachusetts is training campus police to handle hate crimes in 2025 Did the Defense Dept. cancel a grant to Harvard, then pay it anyway? Harvard extends hiring freeze, says Trump actions could cost school $1B a year Read the original article on MassLive.
France 24
22-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Judge presses Trump admin on Harvard funding cuts
Judge Allison Burroughs pressed the administration's lawyer to explain how cutting grants to diverse research budgets would help protect students from alleged campus anti-Semitism, US media reported. Trump preemptively fired off a post on his Truth Social platform blasting Burroughs, an appointee of Democratic president Barack Obama, claiming without evidence that she had already decided against his government -- and vowing to appeal. The Ivy League institution sued in April to restore more than $2 billion in frozen funds. The administration insists its move is legally justified over Harvard's failure to protect Jewish and Israeli students, particularly amid campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza. The threat to Harvard's funding stream forced it to implement a hiring freeze while pausing ambitious research programs, particularly in the public health and medical spheres, that experts warned risked American lives. Harvard has argued that the administration is pursuing "unconstitutional retaliation" against it and several other universities targeted by Trump early in his second term. Both sides have sought a summary judgment to avoid trial, but it was unclear if Burroughs would grant one either way. The judge pressed the lone lawyer representing Trump's administration to explain how cutting funding to Harvard's broad spectrum of research related to combatting anti-Semitism, the Harvard Crimson student newspaper reported from court. "The Harvard case was just tried in Massachusetts before an Obama appointed Judge. She is a TOTAL DISASTER, which I say even before hearing her Ruling," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Harvard has $52 Billion Dollars sitting in the Bank, and yet they are anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-America," he claimed, pointing to the university's world-leading endowment. Both Harvard and the American Association of University Professors brought cases against the Trump administration's measures which were combined and heard Monday. 'Control of academic decision making' Trump has sought to have the case heard in the Court of Federal Claims instead of in the federal court in Boston, just miles away from the heart of the university's Cambridge campus. "This case involves the Government's efforts to use the withholding of federal funding as leverage to gain control of academic decision making at Harvard," Harvard said in its initial filing. The Ivy League institution has been at the forefront of Trump's campaign against top universities after it defied his calls to submit to oversight of its curriculum, staffing, student recruitment and "viewpoint diversity." Trump and his allies claim that Harvard and other prestigious universities are unaccountable bastions of liberal, anti-conservative bias and anti-Semitism, particularly surrounding protests against Israel's war in Gaza. The government has also targeted Harvard's ability to host international students, an important source of income who accounted for 27 percent of total enrollment in the 2024-2025 academic year. A proclamation issued in June declared that the entrance of international students to begin a course at Harvard would be "suspended and limited" for six months and that existing overseas enrollees could have their visas terminated. The move has been halted by a judge. The US government earlier this month subpoenaed Harvard University for records linked to students allegedly involved in a wave of pro-Palestinian student protests that the Trump administration labeled anti-Semitic. Washington has also told a university accrediting body that Harvard's certification should be revoked after it allegedly failed to protect Jewish students in violation of federal civil rights law.
Fox News
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump says Harvard agreement on international students may be announced within a week
President Donald Trump on Friday said a deal with Harvard University, related to its policies surrounding international students, may be announced within a week. "Many people have been asking what is going on with Harvard University and their largescale improprieties that we have been addressing, looking for a solution," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "We have been working closely with Harvard, and it is very possible that a Deal will be announced over the next week or so." The president noted the university "acted extremely appropriately" during negotiations, applauding leadership's apparent commitment to do "what is right." "If a Settlement is made on the basis that is currently being discussed, it will be "mindbogglingly" HISTORIC, and very good for our Country," Trump wrote. The announcement came as Federal Judge Allison Burroughs on Friday issued a preliminary injunction, allowing Harvard University to continue hosting international students, despite a Trump executive order. It is a major legal victory for the Ivy League school, which has been fighting a variety of restrictions imposed by the administration. The temporary court order stays in effect until the case is fully decided on the merits. Harvard University sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), challenging the revocation of Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). Without the program, current and future international students would be barred from attending the university. Harvard alleged the revocation was the culmination of a retaliatory campaign by the Trump administration on academic freedom at Harvard. Attorneys argued the policy is an infringement of the university's Due Process and First Amendment rights, in particular Harvard's constitutional right to be free of retaliatory action for protected speech, as well as violating the Administrative Procedures Act (APA). The order states the revocation cannot be used to negatively affect visa applications, deny entry to the U.S., or be used as a reason to claim a visa holder has lost their non-immigrant status. Harvard University did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal judge delays decision over Trump admin barring Harvard foreign students
A federal judge delayed making a decision until next week on the Trump administration's proclamation barring international students from entering the U.S. to study at Harvard University. A preliminary injunction would effectively replace two temporary restraining orders that have been granted to allow for the court case to continue until the judge makes a final determination on the legality of the case. After hearing from lawyers representing Harvard and the Trump administration on Monday, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said she needed more time to decide and extended a temporary restraining order that was set to expire on Thursday until Monday. The lawsuit initially began after the Trump administration attempted to revoke a key certification allowing Harvard to enroll international students. The university filed its second lawsuit against the federal government last month; the first was filed in April. Read more: Why the fight over foreign students at Harvard has some US students leaving, too Since the battle between the university and the administration began, international and domestic students have considered transferring to other universities. About 27% of Harvard's undergraduate and graduate students are international, according to 2024 to 2025 data. Since President Donald Trump issued a proclamation barring international students from entering the U.S. to study at Harvard, the students have been wrongly detained at Boston Logan Airport and denied visas, according to Maureen Martin, Harvard's Director of Immigration Services, in a Friday court filing. During the lengthy hearing on Monday, Harvard lawyers argued the Trump administration's actions left a 'gaping hole' in its First Amendment rights and that they were retaliatory, in part because of a perceived lack of viewpoint diversity. Ian Gershengorn, a lawyer for Harvard University, said the Trump administration is using the institution's foreign students as 'pawns' to punish the institution. The Trump administration isn't trying to regulate foreign students, he said, but is trying to regulate Harvard, aiming for the university to hand over information on its students and capitulate to its demands from April. The university has undergone a 'nonstop daily barrage' of basically every federal department going after the institution, he said. The Trump administration is 'throwing a bunch of things on the wall to see what sticks,' he said. The consequence of banning international students is 'extraordinary,' and immigration laws are being weaponized against them, he said. During the hearing, Judge Burroughs said it would be an 'uphill battle' for the federal government to prove there wouldn't be irreparable harm done to the university. Read more: 'Incredibly ironic': Trump antisemitism effort may force out Harvard's Israeli Jews Department of Justice lawyer Tiberius Davis, who was alone in court, said the federal government hasn't been retaliating against the university, pointing to other investigations and the pulling of funding at other institutions. However, Harvard has been 'resistant.' 'We don't trust Harvard to vet, host or discipline its students,' Davis said. Harvard has several issues, he said, including antisemitism, crime, its entanglement with the Chinese government and foreign adversaries and hasn't adequately disciplined students. Judge Burroughs pushed back on the implication that this is only happening at Harvard and asked why all international students are included in the Trump administration's actions — including Jewish students from Israel — in the name of combating antisemitism. The hearing comes after the U.S. State Department ordered embassies around the world to resume processing Harvard University student visas last week. However, the university has been battling against the Trump administration since April. It began when the Department of Homeland Security said it was revoking a key certification that allows Harvard University's international students to study there. The institution was offered an ultimatum by the Trump administration to lose the certification or give up information about its foreign student population. Quickly after, Judge Burroughs granted a temporary restraining order. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later stated that the U.S. would begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students and increase vetting of social media accounts of student visa applicants. Following the revocation attempt, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation that barred Harvard's international students from entering the country. He also directed Rubio to consider halting the processing of Harvard student visas. Another temporary restraining order was granted in response. Read more: As Trump cuts funding, these Harvard scholars consider leaving US — and academia Harvard has a separate lawsuit in reaction to the federal government freezing or cutting nearly $3 billion in federal funding, citing antisemitism at Harvard. The administration has claimed the university failed to protect Jewish students, particularly in the wake of the war in Gaza. 'In the Trump Administration, discrimination will not be tolerated on campus. Federal funds must support institutions that protect all students,' the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services wrote in May as it cut $60 million in grants to Harvard. Federal judge orders Trump admin to reinstate hundreds of NIH grants Harvard's Monday court date will be important for international students. Here's why As Trump cuts funding, these Harvard scholars consider leaving US — and academia Harvard researcher released from custody after months in detention Ex-Harvard professor fired after refusing COVID shot named to CDC vaccine panel Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Harvard's Monday court date will be important for international students. Here's why
A Monday preliminary injunction hearing will hold the weight of what is to come next for Harvard University's foreign student population. The federal court hearing in Boston is in response to several attempts by the Trump administration to prevent Harvard from enrolling international students or allowing them to enter the country to study. The university began its second lawsuit against the federal government last month. Since the battle between the two, international students and U.S. students have been considering transferring to other universities. About 27% of Harvard's undergraduate and graduate students are international, according to 2024 to 2025 data. There are two temporary restraining orders from May and June that U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs granted. A preliminary injunction would effectively replace the two — which have expiration dates — to allow for the court case to continue until Burroughs makes a final determination on the legality of the case, according to Jonathan Grode, managing partner at immigration law firm Green and Spiegel. Read more: Why the fight over foreign students at Harvard has some US students leaving, too When Harvard asked for a preliminary injunction in May, Burroughs told the university and the Department of Homeland Security to agree on common terms over a preliminary injunction. In Thursday evening court filings, both Harvard and the Trump administration said they were unable to do so. Harvard international students have been wrongly detained at Boston Logan Airport and denied visas, according to Maureen Martin, Harvard's Director of Immigration Services, who wrote in a Friday court filing. The Trump administration, in a lengthy 44-page brief, stated its opposition to a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction in the case. 'That Harvard has now become the subject of an immigration related enforcement action is neither discriminatory nor retaliatory. It reflects considered enforcement discretion directed to address well-founded national-security concerns, which courts cannot question,' the federal government wrote. If Judge Burroughs sides with the federal government, past restraining orders will be null, putting international students at Harvard in a difficult situation, according to Grode. The hearing comes after the U.S. State Department ordered embassies around the world to resume processing Harvard University student visas last week. However, the university has been battling against the Trump administration since April. It began when the Department of Homeland Security said it was revoking a key certification that allows Harvard University's international students to study there. The institution was offered an ultimatum by the Trump administration to lose the certification or give up information about its foreign student population. Quickly after, Judge Burroughs granted a temporary restraining order. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later stated that the U.S. would begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students and increase vetting of social media accounts of student visa applicants. Following the revocation attempt, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation that barred Harvard's international students from entering the country. He also directed Rubio to consider stopping the processing of Harvard student visas. Another temporary restraining order was granted in response. Harvard has a separate lawsuit in reaction to the federal government freezing or cutting nearly $3 billion in federal funding, citing antisemitism at Harvard. The administration has claimed the university failed to protect Jewish students, particularly in the wake of the war in Gaza. 'In the Trump Administration, discrimination will not be tolerated on campus. Federal funds must support institutions that protect all students,' the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services wrote in May as it cut $60 million in grants to Harvard. As Trump cuts funding, these Harvard scholars consider leaving US — and academia Harvard researcher released from custody after months in detention Ex-Harvard professor fired after refusing COVID shot named to CDC vaccine panel U.S. House committee demands Harvard send them hiring policies for review Williams College stops accepting federal grants, opposing new policy Read the original article on MassLive.
