Harvard University has secured a court-ordered extension temporarily blocking former President Donald Trump’s plan to bar foreign nationals from studying at the institution.
United States District Judge Allison Burroughs announced on Monday, June 16, 2025, that she would extend a temporary restraining order originally set to expire on Thursday until June 23. The extension allows her more time to prepare a formal ruling.
“We’ll kick out an opinion as soon as we can,” she said at the end of a hearing in Boston, part of Harvard’s ongoing legal challenge to the Trump administration’s restrictions.
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The judge initially issued the restraining order on June 5, just one day after Trump signed a proclamation aimed at banning international students from entering the U.S. to attend Harvard. A preliminary injunction, if granted, would offer longer-term protection while the lawsuit proceeds, according to Reuters.
Harvard, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is home to approximately 6,800 international students, who make up about 27% of its student body.
Judge Burroughs, who was appointed by former Democratic President Barack Obama, did not signal how she would ultimately rule. However, she noted that the U.S. Department of Justice attorney defending Trump’s policy faced an “uphill battle” in proving that Harvard would not suffer irreparable harm if the proclamation were enforced.
The Trump administration has launched multiple actions against the university, including freezing billions in grants and proposing to revoke its tax-exempt status. In response, Harvard has filed two separate lawsuits before Judge Burroughs: one to unfreeze approximately $2.5 billion in funding and another to stop the visa ban on international students.
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