{shortcode-fe4899fad8f600c0f5a706be7644993d9758d1f8}
Harvard asked a federal judge on Wednesday to issue a preliminary injunction blocking the United States Department of Homeland Security from revoking its certification to host international students, warning of irreparable harm to the University and its affiliation.
The motion comes just days after a federal judge granted Harvard a temporary restraining order blocking the DHS from enforcing its order to strip Harvard of its Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification.
That TRO — issued last Friday — grants only short-term relief while the court considers next steps. It will expire after a scheduled court hearing on May 29, during which the judge overseeing the case, Allison D. Burroughs, will decide whether to grant Harvard a preliminary injunction.
The injunction, if granted, would extend the protections in the TRO and keep Harvard’s SEVP certification intact while the lawsuit moves forward.
If Harvard’s SEVP certification is permanently revoked, the University’s more than 7,000 international students would be unable to remain at Harvard or legally stay in the United States unless they are able to transfer to other universities.
In a supplemental seven-page declaration filed alongside the motion, Harvard International Office Director Maureen Martin described cascading fallout from the May 22 revocation. Students skipped graduation ceremonies, canceled international travel, and in some cases, began seeking transfer, according to the memo. Some also reported fears of being forced to return to countries where they face active conflict or political persecution.
Maureen wrote that students and scholars faced "significant emotional distress,” with many unsure whether they could return to campus in the fall. Several incoming students and visiting scholars were denied visas in the days following the revocation.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
—Staff writer Dhruv T. Patel can be reached at dhruv.patel@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @dhruvtkpatel.
—Staff writer Grace E. Yoon can be reached at grace.yoon@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @graceunkyoon.
