What the Judge’s Order Actually Does
A US judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration’s plan to take away Harvard University’s ability to enroll foreign students. The order suspends the Department of Homeland Security’s decision, made on a Thursday, to revoke Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) — the government database that manages foreign students. Cancelling SEVP certification effectively bars Harvard from admitting international students for the next academic year, and students already enrolled would have to transfer schools to keep their legal status in the US.
The move drew a sharp response from the administration. “Unelected judges have no power to stop the Trump administration from lawfully exercising its authority over immigration and national security policy,” a spokesperson said.
What It Means for Students Already in the US
For international students hoping to stay in the US, the past 24 hours have been a storm. Throughout the morning, Harvard’s international student community was anxiously searching for answers: did they have to leave the country immediately?
The order also complicates plans for current students. Rohan Battula, a British third-year student, had planned to travel to New York in June on his visa to work. “I’m worried that once I go home I won’t be able to come back,” he told the BBC, so he chose to stay on campus.
Several British students at Harvard told the BBC they were concerned but did not want to be named, fearing retaliation from immigration authorities.
The SEVP system record is a necessary condition for a student visa. If Harvard is blocked from accessing the system, students could be considered in violation and may even face deportation.
FAQ
Why does SEVP certification matter for international students? SEVP is the government database that manages foreign students, and the SEVP system record is a necessary condition for a student visa. If a school loses access to the system, its students may be treated as violating status and could face deportation.
What happens to students already enrolled at Harvard if the order had not blocked the move? Students already enrolled would have had to transfer to another school to maintain their legal status in the US, and the school would have been effectively barred from admitting international students for the next academic year.