Harvard Wins Temporary Victory in Federal Court

CAMBRIDGE, SATURDAY - Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States has successfully obtained a temporary court ruling. Essentially, U.S. President Donald Trump is not permitted to expel foreign students.

Federal Judge Allison Burroughs issued the temporary order on Friday (23/5/2025) evening local time or Saturday (24/5/2025) Indonesia time. The trial is scheduled to take place on Tuesday next week.

Harvard is suing the U.S. Government on the grounds of violating the First Amendment of the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act. "This is an important step to protect the rights of foreign students and the academic community," said Harvard President Alan Gerber in a written statement quoted by ABC.

On Friday, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem revoked Harvard's permit to accept foreign students. The justification was that Harvard is considered antisemitic and pro-China. Harvard also refused to provide personal data of international students for cross-referencing with photos of protests over the past five years.

Harvard stated that they are collaborating with the government in accordance with legal regulations. They mentioned that the government is suppressing academic freedom due to criticism of various government actions.

At Harvard, there are 6,800 international students from 140 countries, accounting for 27 percent of the total student population at the institution. Overall, there are 1.1 million international students in the United States, representing 6 percent of the total student body. The Crown Princess of Belgium, Elisabeth, is among the international students whose studies are threatened by actions from the U.S. Government.

Foreign students are requested to transfer to other universities. However, the process is not that simple. There are also concerns from the government about taking similar actions at other campuses.

During the 2024 election campaign, Trump frequently expressed his dislike for colleges, including Harvard, which is the oldest and wealthiest university in the United States. Trump detests the progressive and inclusive thinking of higher education, which contradicts the Make America Great Again agenda.

Trump has repeatedly stated that colleges are dominated by liberal ideas, Marxist-Leninist concepts, and pro-China sentiments. The anti-genocide protests for Palestine on campuses have become Trump's entry point to accuse them of being anti-Semitic, although this argument has been refuted, including by pro-democracy and peace Jewish organizations.

Campuses are being forced to change the definition of antisemitic actions by the government to ensure the safety of the Jewish academic community. Courses and research centers focused on the Middle East and East Asia are accused of being venues for the spread of foreign ideologies and are requested to be closed. This order has been opposed by the campuses.

Trump also threatened to revoke tax exemptions from universities. Several senators from the opposition party, the Democrats, immediately coordinated with the Department of the Treasury. They reminded that revoking a tax exemption for an institution cannot be based on personal preferences. It must go through an investigation by the tax directorate and concrete evidence of violations.

Pressure on this campus raises questions about the future of higher education in the United States. Trump has cut funding for 60 universities. As a result, important research, particularly in the fields of health and climate, is at risk of continuation. This includes research for cancer and Alzheimer's treatment.

Columbia University in New York has taken a different approach from Harvard in order to protect their research and development funds. Columbia prohibits the use of masks or face coverings during protests.

Columbia also employs 36 law enforcement officers with special authority to apprehend academic staff deemed too extreme during protests. Certain research centers are also monitored to prevent the dissemination of subversive ideas.

"The behavior of the US government only undermines the credibility of higher education in the US and ultimately the reputation of the US itself," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning.

UCLA Vice Chancellor Mary Osako told the Los Angeles Times that foreign academics bring a wealth of perspective and expertise in education, research and innovation that make U.S. campuses stand out in the world.

Osako stated that without international students, the quality of campuses in the United States diminishes. The tradition of campuses is to have a global and inclusive environment. This is also what attracts foreign nationals to entrust their higher education to the United States.

In California, the University of Southern California (USC) has the highest number of international students, totaling 17,000 individuals. They were not willing to comment when asked for their response. They only suggested that international students should refrain from traveling abroad to avoid having their visas revoked by the government. (AP)