Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Harvard said the ruling will allow it to continue hosting international students and scholars while this case moves forward. It added it will continue to defend the rights of the school, its students and scholars.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The university has filed two separate lawsuits before Burroughs, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, seeking to unfreeze around US$2.5 billion in funding and to prevent the administration from blocking the ability of international students to attend the university.
The latter lawsuit was filed after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on May 22 announced that her department was immediately revoking Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, which allows it to enroll foreign students.
Almost 6,800 international students attended Harvard in its most recent school year, making up about 27 per cent of its student population.
Noem, without providing evidence, accused the university of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party”.
Her action was temporarily blocked by Burroughs almost immediately. While the Department of Homeland Security has since shifted to challenging Harvard’s certification through a lengthier administrative process, Burroughs at a May 29 hearing said she planned to issue an injunction to maintain the status quo, which she did officially on Friday.
