NY Times - A federal judge in Boston said on Thursday morning that she would issue an order blocking the Trump administration’s efforts to prevent Harvard from enrolling international students. The ruling was a win, at least temporarily, for the university in its ongoing confrontation with the White House, which has waged an all-out battle to undermine Harvard’s finances and global influence.
Graduates in Harvard Yard lined up to receive their diplomas on Thursday, even as the university’s future was under attack. The Trump administration stepped up its effort to restrict foreign students across higher education late Wednesday with an announcement by the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, that officials would begin to “aggressively revoke” the visas of some Chinese students.
Many undergraduates wore white flowers to the graduation ceremonies to signal solidarity with foreign students, who make up about a quarter of the student body. And unlike last year, when administrators faced boos over their sanctions for pro-Palestinian protesters, President Alan Garber was greeted with a standing ovation after emerging as an unlikely leader of resistance against the White House.
Here’s what else to know:
Political target: The administration has accused Harvard of liberal bias, violating the Supreme Court ban on affirmative action and allowing antisemitic behavior. Harvard’s lawyers are expected to argue in court today — using the president’s own words and social media posts — that the institution is being politically targeted in violation of the First Amendment. Here’s a preview of the legal fight.
Funding fight: The Trump administration has frozen more than $3 billion in federal funding to the university, and Mr. Trump has said he would like to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status. This week the administration said it would also cancel the federal government’s remaining contracts with Harvard, worth an estimated $100 million.
Broader battle: In its larger struggle with higher education, the administration has significantly cut federal funding for research, and a Republican budget bill moving through Congress would impose higher taxes on university endowments. Here’s which schools the president has targeted, and why.
International students: One of the administration’s most significant broadsides against Harvard has been its effort to prevent it from enrolling international students. The institution says the move would be devastating, both academically and financially. A Harvard professor and faculty leader, Kirsten Weld, called it “an extinction-level event.”
Reporting from Cambridge, Mass.
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