Boston: A U.S. judge has put a temporary hold on the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke Harvard University’s authority to enroll international students, providing a reprieve to affected students at the prestigious institution.

According to Yonhap News Agency, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order after Harvard filed a lawsuit challenging the administration’s decision. This legal action followed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s directive to terminate Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. The revocation would have prevented Harvard from enrolling foreign students and forced current international students to either transfer or risk losing their legal status in the United States.

The judge’s order allows foreign students to remain enrolled at Harvard, with another court hearing scheduled for the following week. Harvard contends in its lawsuit that the SEVP certification termination violates its First Amendment rights, arguing tha
t the government is attempting to control the university’s governance, curriculum, and the ideological perspectives of its faculty and students.

The Department of Homeland Security justified its decision by accusing Harvard’s leadership of fostering an unsafe environment, claiming that the university allowed anti-American and pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including Jewish students.

This development has caused significant concern among South Korean and other international students at Harvard, who have been pursuing their studies at the renowned institution to advance their academic careers and contribute to the global academic community. Harvard’s international student population for the 2024-25 academic year comprised approximately 6,800 students, accounting for about 27 percent of the overall student body, as reported by The New York Times citing university enrollment data.