‘I want Harvard to be great again’: Trump offers olive branch while judge extends protection for international students

A federal judge has extended her block on the Trump administration’s attempt to prevent Harvard University from enrolling foreign students, following a court hearing in Boston on Thursday.

According to Politico, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs maintained her temporary restraining order after the administration revealed it would give Harvard a 30-day period to contest the cancellation of its authority to admit international students.

Despite weeks of confrontational rhetoric toward Harvard regarding pro-Palestinian protests and antisemitism claims, Trump showed signs of softening his stance. “I’m looking out for the country and for Harvard,” the president said. “I want Harvard to do well. I want Harvard to be great again… Harvard has to understand that the last thing I want to do is hurt them. They’re hurting themselves.”

Administration offers compromise as visa concerns grow

The administration has proposed a 15 percent cap on foreign students, which would effectively halve Harvard’s current international student population of 27 percent. This comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans to “aggressively revoke” visas for Chinese students at American universities.

The case has revealed immediate impacts on Harvard’s international community. According to Maureen Martin, director of immigration services in Harvard’s International Office, at least 10 international students or scholars planned for fall enrollment reported that their visa applications were refused for “administrative processing” following the administration’s notice.

During the hearing, Judge Burroughs emphasized the necessity of maintaining the court order, despite the administration’s 30-day reprieve. The judge expressed concern about reports of visa processing delays and revocations, which government attorney Tiberius Davis addressed with limited specificity, citing the rapid pace of developments.

Harvard’s attorney Ian Gershengorn argued that the 30-day delay does not eliminate ongoing harm to the university, including the risk of foreign students potentially transferring to other institutions. He maintained that Harvard continues to face differential treatment from the administration, stating, “There continues to be a different set of rules for Harvard and a different set of procedures for Harvard.”

This case represents part of a larger conflict between Harvard and the Trump administration, which includes a separate lawsuit over $2 billion in grant cuts to the university. Judge Burroughs, who previously ruled in Harvard’s favor in a significant affirmative action case, will continue to oversee negotiations between both parties as they work toward a potential injunction to maintain the status quo while the case proceeds.