On Friday, Harvard University sued the Trump administration over a federal order that would compel hundreds of its foreign students to transfer schools or leave the US in an escalating fight between the US President Donald Trump and the prestigious Ivy League school.
The Trump administration on Thursday barred Harvard from accepting foreign students.
Harvard University filed a lawsuit in Boston on Friday. It claims that the government’s actions violate the First Amendment and would have an “immediate and devastating effect’ on more than 7,000 visa holders. For the time being, the temporary restraining order has been granted.
However, Harvard remarked that it would be unable to admit new foreign students for at least two academic years if the injunction is upheld.
Hundreds of Canadian students may be impacted, according to the Canadian Press. There were 686 Canadian students enrolled at Harvard in 2022. Cleo Carney, the daughter of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, is one of them. Cleo, who studies sustainability and resource efficiency, made news in March when she declared her father the new leader of the Liberal Party.
Princess Elisabeth of Belgium is another student who may be affected. She recently finished her first year of the Harvard Kennedy School master’s program in public policy. The Royal Palace issued a statement saying that Elisabeth has recently finished her first year and is currently spending the summer in Belgium. “We are currently investigating the situation,” it read adding that “the impact of (the Trump administration’s) decision will only become clearer in the coming days/weeks.”
Kristi Noem, homeland security adviser made a request demanded Harvard on April 16, to reveal information about its foreign students that could potentially connect them to protests and lead to deportations.
The Trump administration’s decision now impacts both present and prospective students. Even individuals who are currently enrolled may be compelled to transfer or face the possibility of losing their legal status.
Terming the Trump’s administration’s move as unlawful, Harvard said it is “working swiftly to provide guidance and support to our community members.”
The institution declared, “We’re fighting this not just for Harvard but for the independence of all private universities.”