A US federal judge on Monday issued a preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump’s administration from enforcing a policy that would bar foreign nationals from entering the US to study at Harvard University.

Judge Allison D. Burroughs of the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts ordered an injunction halting the Trump administration from revoking visa eligibility and decertifying Harvard under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SVEP). The court found that the administration’s actions were likely unlawful and raised serious constitutional concerns. The injunction takes immediate effect and preserves both visa processing and Harvard’s SEVP certification while litigation continues.

In her ruling, the judge held that plaintiffs demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits and that the policy would cause immediate and irreparable harm to the university and its students.

The court’s decision preserves visa access and institutional certification for international students pending full adjudication of the case. The decision emphasized how the administration’s actions likely violated Harvard’s constitutional rights, including the First Amendment, and raised concerns about retaliation against the university’s academic independence. By targeting Harvard specifically, the administration’s policy threatened to undermine the foundational principles of open inquiry and diversity of thought that the universities represent.

District courts across the country continue to place preliminary injunctions on the torrent of executive orders streaming from the White House. The Supreme Court has signaled hesitancy toward the practice as tension between the executive and judicial branches builds. The issue may come to a head as cases continue to reach the Supreme Court.