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In a significant legal development, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's effort to restrict Harvard from enrolling international students. This move marks President Trump's first direct use of presidential power to challenge the university. The ruling was made late Thursday by Judge Allison D. Burroughs of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts.

Judge Burroughs extended a previous order from May, which had already halted the administration from preventing Harvard from issuing certain student visas. This extension is set for approximately two weeks. These court decisions provide temporary victories for Harvard in its ongoing legal battle against what it sees as politically motivated interventions by the Trump administration.

The dispute has intensified with the White House issuing a proclamation on Wednesday aimed at blocking international enrollment at Harvard. This is the third attempt by the administration in the past month, but the first to directly leverage the executive power of the presidency.

Harvard responded by filing a new claim, accusing the administration of trying to bypass an earlier court ruling that had halted a similar effort by the Department of Homeland Security. In its court filings, Harvard argued that the invocation of executive power was an unlawful act of retaliation orchestrated by the White House after previous attempts had failed.

Alan M. Garber, Harvard’s president, issued a statement ensuring that the university’s international office is actively reaching out to impacted students and scholars. Harvard is also devising contingency plans to support these individuals throughout the upcoming academic year.

The administration's efforts could potentially affect around 300 new international first-year students and an unspecified number of graduate students set to join Harvard this fall. Moreover, President Trump has urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider revoking current visas for all international students at Harvard, which would impact approximately 5,000 students and 2,000 recent graduates currently in the U.S. on work visas.

Following a string of demands from the government in April, which included barring students deemed hostile to American values, the administration threatened to pull nearly $3 billion in federal contracts and grants from the university. While initially framed as combating antisemitism, the administration's focus has widened to target diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, as well as Harvard's ties to China.

Harvard's amended complaint contends that the administration's actions are punitive rather than protective of national interests, impacting the institution's fundamental educational mission. The unfolding legal battle underscores the broader national debate regarding the role of international students in American higher education.