Latest news with #JudgeBurroughs
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Judge to extend block on Trump move to revoke Harvard's ability to enrol international students
A federal judge said on Wednesday that she would issue an order that would continue to block the Trump administration from immediately revoking Harvard University's ability to enrol international students. US district Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston announced her intention to issue a broad preliminary injunction shortly after the administration revealed its plans to pursue a new, lengthier administrative process to block the students' enrolment. The US department of homeland security changed course ahead of a hearing before the Judge Burroughs over whether to extend a temporary order blocking president Donald Trump's administration from revoking the Ivy League school's right to host international students. The department in a notice sent to Harvard near midnight on Wednesday said it would give the school 30 days to contest its plans to revoke its certification under a federal programme allowing it to enrol non-US students. READ MORE The justice department filed a copy of the notice in court two hours before Thursday's hearing. Harvard's lawyers and the judge said at the hearing that they were still processing it and assessing its impact on the school's lawsuit. When the Judge Burroughs asked if the notice acknowledged that procedural steps were not taken, justice department attorney Tiberius Davis replied that this wasn't necessarily the case. Instead, he said, the notice recognised that adopting the procedures Harvard advocated for would be better and simpler. [ Trump administration halts Harvard's ability to enrol international students Opens in new window ] Mr Davis said the notice made Harvard's arguments at this time moot. However, Judge Burroughs, an appointee of Democratic former president Barack Obama, expressed scepticism about that, saying 'Aren't we still going to end up back here at the same place?' Ian Gershengorn, a lawyer for Harvard, told the judge that an injunction protecting Harvard during the administrative process was necessary, saying the school was worried about the administration's efforts to retaliate against it. 'The first amendment harms we are suffering are real and continuing,' he said. Judge Burroughs said a preliminary injunction was needed to stop any immediate changes and protect international students arriving to attend Harvard. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based university says department's action is part of an 'unprecedented and retaliatory attack on academic freedom at Harvard,' which is pursuing a separate lawsuit challenging the administration's decision to terminate nearly $3 billion (€2.6 billion) in federal research funding. Harvard argues the Trump administration is retaliating against it for refusing to accede to its demands to control the school's governance, curriculum and the ideology of its faculty and students. Harvard filed the lawsuit a day after homeland security secretary Kristi Noem on May 22nd announced she was revoking its certification with the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. Harvard said the decision was 'devastating' for the school and its student body. The university, the nation's oldest and wealthiest, enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in its current school year, about 27 per cent of its total enrolment. [ A neuropsychologist's view on Donald Trump: We're seeing the impact of power on the human brain Opens in new window ] Harvard had argued that the revocation not only violated its free speech and due process rights under the US constitution but also failed to comply with department regulations. The regulations require it to receive 30 days to challenge the agency's allegations and an opportunity to pursue an administrative appeal. In announcing the initial decision to revoke Harvard's certification, Ms Noem, without providing evidence, accused the university of 'fostering violence, anti-Semitism, and co-ordinating with the Chinese Communist Party'. In a letter that day, she accused the school of refusing to comply with wide-ranging requests for information on its student visa holders, including about any activity they engaged in that was illegal or violent or that would subject them to discipline. The department's move would prevent Harvard from enrolling new international students and require existing ones to transfer to other schools or lose their legal status. Mr Trump on Wednesday said that Harvard should have a 15 per cent cap on the number of non-US students it admits. – Reuters
Washington Post
4 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Judge orders Trump administration to allow Harvard to enroll international students
A federal judge Thursday blocked the Trump administration's attempt to bar international students from enrolling at Harvard. Judge Allison D. Burroughs ordered a temporary restraining order she issued last week to remain in place until a preliminary injunction is issued. The ruling grants Harvard a win in one of the most high-stakes battles in its ongoing war with the administration.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Harvard Wins Initial Court Fight to Keep Its International Students
A federal judge on Thursday said she would issue an order temporarily blocking the Trump administration from enforcing a ban on international students at Harvard. The judge voiced concerns that the government was attempting to prevent foreign students from enrolling despite her earlier order blocking the administration's planned actions. The Trump administration had attempted to forestall the judge's decision by sending a last-minute notice offering the university an additional 30 days to respond to its demands just hours before squaring off against Harvard's lawyers in federal court. But Judge Allison D. Burroughs said she wanted to issue an injunction anyway, repeating concerns that student visas were being delayed or rescinded. Harvard sued the Trump administration last week, after the government announced it would revoke the university's authorization to enroll students from abroad. Hours after the lawsuit was filed, Judge Burroughs issued a short-term ban on those efforts. International students make up about a quarter of Harvard's student body, and are critical to the university's academics and finances. The school had asked for the extension so that international students, many of whom had left campus for the summer, could return to Harvard for their studies while the litigation continues. An extension would also clear the way for incoming first-year students from abroad to proceed with their plans. The Trump administration has argued that Harvard lost its right to admit international students because of its inability to curb antisemitism on campus, among other allegations. Harvard leaders have acknowledged some problems with antisemitism, but said the school had taken many steps to address them. Lawyers for Harvard have argued that the Trump administration's ban on international students at the school was illegal and a sign of a political crusade against the nation's wealthiest university. Citing a barrage of social media posts by President Trump that attack the university for its political ideology and professors, lawyers for Harvard had argued that the ban was unfounded and retaliatory. As evidence, they pointed to Mr. Trump's own posts attacking the university on his social media platform, Truth Social. Judge Burroughs was also expected to rule on a request from the university that she order the administration to clear the way for the entry of Harvard students into the United States. The university had complained of reports from students that they had already faced hurdles at embassies and consulates. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Fox News
4 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Judge to block Trump admin's Harvard foreign students ban
A federal judge in Boston said Thursday that she plans to issue a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from revoking Harvard University's certification to host foreign students. Judge Allison D. Burroughs – who was appointed by former President Barack Obama – already granted Harvard University a temporary restraining order last week, preventing the government from revoking the Ivy League school's certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. The program permits the university to host international students with F-1 or J-1 visas to study in the U.S. At Thursday's hearing, Burroughs said the block on the Trump administration would stand for now. In its lawsuit, Harvard said the revocation would impact more than 7,000 visa holders – more than a quarter of its student body. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Trump gives Harvard 30 days to challenge foreign students ban
The Trump administration signaled on Thursday it might back away from plans to immediately revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll international students and would instead pursue a lengthier administrative process. According to a court filing, the Department of Homeland Security sent Harvard a notice of intent on Wednesday to withdraw the school's certification under the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which allows Harvard to enroll non-U.S. students. The notice came ahead of a scheduled hearing before U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston over whether to extend a temporary order blocking U.S. President Donald Trump 's administration from revoking the Ivy League school's right to host international students. The hearing is expected to kick off at 10:30 a.m. Harvard has said losing that right would affect about one quarter of its student body and devastate the school. Neither Harvard nor DHS immediately responded to requests for comment. Harvard had argued that the revocation violated its free speech and due process rights under the U.S. Constitution as well as the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs agency actions. Its lawyers said DHS regulations required providing at least 30 days to challenge the agency's allegations, and give Harvard an opportunity to pursue an administrative appeal. The revocation announced on May 22 was an escalation of the Trump administration's attack on Harvard. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based university's lawyers argued the agency's action was part of an 'unprecedented and retaliatory attack on academic freedom at Harvard,' which is pursuing a separate lawsuit challenging the administration's decision to terminate nearly $3 billion in federal research funding. Harvard argues the Trump administration is retaliating against it for refusing to cede to its demands to control the school's governance, curriculum and the 'ideology' of its faculty and students. The case before Burroughs, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, was filed after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked the school's SEVP certification. In announcing the decision, Noem, without providing evidence, accused the university of 'fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.' In a letter that day, she accused the school of refusing to comply with wide-ranging requests for information on its student visa holders, including about any activity they engaged in that was illegal or violent or that would subject them to discipline. 'As I explained to you in my April letter, it is a privilege to enroll foreign students, and it is also a privilege to employ aliens on campus,' she said. Harvard said the decision was 'devastating' for the school and its student body. The university, the nation's oldest and wealthiest, enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in its current school year, about 27% of its total enrollment. The department's move would prevent Harvard from enrolling new international students and require existing ones to transfer to other schools or lose their legal status. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday that Harvard University should have a 15 percent cap on the number of non-U.S. students it admits. 'Harvard has got to behave themselves,' he said.
