Federal judge blocks Trump administration’s efforts to prevent foreign students from enrolling at Harvard
PBS NewsHour1 day
Judge Blocks Trump's Move to Bar Foreign Students at Harvard
Above: The Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 5, 2025. Image copyright: Mel Musto/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
An Obama-appointed judge may have temporarily blocked Trump's immigration order, but this is a minor and expected setback. The Constitution gives the president broad authority to control who enters the country. Trump is enforcing civil rights, protecting national security, and challenging elite institutions like Harvard that think they're above the law. Trump is on solid legal ground — and Harvard won't dodge accountability for long.
Anti-Trump narrative
Judge Burroughs' ruling is a key check on executive overreach, reinforcing that even the president must act within constitutional bounds. Trump's move to strip Harvard of its right to host international students is legally dubious and politically driven. The case will continue, but this decision signals the courts won't rubber-stamp authoritarian attacks on academia.