The U.S. State Department has ordered all American embassies and consulates worldwide to resume processing student and exchange visitor visas for Harvard University following a federal judge’s temporary injunction against President Donald Trump’s ban on foreign students attending the Ivy League institution.
The directive, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on June 6, references the ruling by U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, who last Thursday issued an order blocking the enforcement of the visa ban pending further legal proceedings. The ruling effectively halted the administration’s efforts to prevent international students from enrolling at Harvard, a measure originally justified by the White House on national security grounds.
The visa ban was part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration against Harvard University, the oldest and one of the wealthiest academic institutions in the United States. This campaign included freezing billions of dollars in federal funding and proposing the revocation of Harvard’s tax-exempt status. Harvard has strongly denied wrongdoing and contended that the administration’s actions constitute retaliation after the university refused to acquiesce to government demands aimed at controlling its management, curriculum, and the ideological perspectives of its faculty and students.
During a court hearing, Harvard’s legal team argued that the government’s restrictions violated constitutional rights and hindered academic freedom, emphasizing the importance of international students to the university’s community and the broader U.S. educational system.
The State Department, while declining to comment directly on internal diplomatic communications, clarified that existing visa policies remain in place. These include enhanced scrutiny measures such as social media monitoring and evaluations of applicants’ online presence to assess eligibility.
The legal challenge and subsequent injunction reflect broader tensions between the Trump administration and prominent academic institutions, highlighting the intersection of immigration policy, national security, and educational freedom.
This development comes amid heightened scrutiny of foreign students in the United States and ongoing debates over visa policies impacting international scholars and researchers. The Biden administration, following the 2024 presidential election, has yet to reverse many of these policies, which continue to spark controversy across academic and diplomatic circles.
Harvard officials have welcomed the court’s ruling as a vital step toward preserving the university’s global character and ensuring the uninterrupted participation of international students in academic programs.
The dispute over visa restrictions forms part of a larger context of legal battles involving higher education institutions nationwide, as universities seek to protect their rights against sweeping government measures perceived as overreach.
Reported by Humeyra Pamuk; Edited by Deepa Babington and David Gregorio.
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