Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration following a decision to revoke the institution’s ability to enrol international students—deepening an ongoing rift between the US government and one of the country’s most prominent academic institutions.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Boston, describes the move as a “blatant violation” of the law. It follows an announcement by the Department of Homeland Security, stating it would withdraw Harvard’s access to student visa programmes, reports BBC
According to the administration, the decision was made in response to the university’s alleged failure to address antisemitism and revise its hiring and admissions policies—claims Harvard has categorically rejected.
“We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action,” said Harvard President Alan Garber in an official statement, noting the university’s intent to apply for a temporary restraining order against the federal decision.
Garber also alleged the action was part of a broader campaign to pressure Harvard into relinquishing its academic autonomy. “The revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence and to submit to the federal government’s illegal assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body,” he said.
The legal challenge marks a significant escalation in tensions over academic freedom and federal oversight of higher education institutions in the US.