- Varsity says, “We Won’t Surrender Our Academic Independence…”
By Abiola Olawale
A fierce legal battle is expected to begin in the coming weeks, as Harvard University, United States premier Institution has filed a federal lawsuit against the administration of US President Donald Trump over an international student enrollment ban.
This comes after the US Department of Homeland Security on Thursday, May 22, 2025, announced that it has banned Harvard from enrolling international students.
Since the announcement, the move consequently sparked and indeed triggered widespread concerns, leaving nearly 6,800 international students—27% of Harvard’s student body—in limbo.
However, Harvard has now launched a legal battle against the decision, filing a complaint before the Boston federal court.
The institution described the international student enrollment ban announcement by Trump’s administration as a”‘blatant violation” of the United States Constitution’s First Amendment
It also said the revocation had an “immediate and devastating effect” on the university and more than 7,000 visa holders.
The New Diplomat checks reveal that Harvard’s case has been assigned to US District Judge Allison Burroughs.
In another separate statement, Harvard’s President, Alan Garber, has declared that the institution will not surrender to what he called “unlawful’ and ‘unwarranted” retaliation by Trump’s administration.
The statement reads in part: “The revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence and to submit to the federal government’s illegal assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body.
“We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action. It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities across the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfil their dreams.”
The New Diplomat reports that this development comes amid a months-long standoff between Harvard and Trump’s administration.
Prior to this move, Trump’s administration had accused the university of allegedly fostering a “hostile” environment for Jewish students and promoting “pro-Hamas sympathies”.
It would be recalled that earlier this year, the administration also sanctioned an order to freeze Harvard’s $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts, over alleged failures to address antisemitism and comply with policy demands.
However, Harvard has consistently denied any inappropriate conduct or action.
