Trump administration asks court to throw out Harvard case on international student policy

The Trump administration has asked a federal judge in Boston to dismiss Harvard University’s lawsuit challenging a ban on international students, arguing the president has broad authority to restrict non-citizens from entering the US.

According to a Bloomberg report, the Justice Department said Harvard lacks legal standing to contest the policy, which is tied to the school’s certification under the Student Exchange and Visitor Program — a prerequisite for enrolling foreign students. In June, President Donald Trump signed an executive action preventing foreign nationals from studying at Harvard, citing the university’s alleged failure to maintain discipline and a rise in campus crime.

Harvard has been a central focus of Trump’s broader push to reshape higher education, which includes efforts to curb alleged antisemitism, reduce perceived political bias among faculty, and dismantle diversity programs. The administration is also pursuing a separate case over whether it can withdraw more than $2 billion in federal research funding from the school.

The university sued in May, claiming the enrollment ban violates due process and federal rules. US District Judge Allison Burroughs granted Harvard a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the ban, later issuing a second order barring the government from restricting the entry of its international students.

The Justice Department’s filing stressed that compliance with the exchange program is essential to “ensure [foreign student visa holders] are adequately monitored, disciplined, and reported on.” It alleged Harvard was not meeting its obligations, creating “serious national security and public safety concerns.”

A Harvard spokesperson said the latest motion “has no impact on the school’s ability to enroll international students” and added, “The university will continue to defend its rights — and the rights of its students and scholars.”

The administration has sought for months to block foreign student enrollment at Harvard, where 27% of last year’s student body came from abroad. Settlement talks have been ongoing, with the White House viewing $500 million as the minimum payment in any agreement. Similar disputes with the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, and Brown have been resolved in recent weeks.

The case is Harvard v. US Department of Homeland Security, 25-cv-11472, US District Court, District of Massachusetts (Boston).