Trump’s Decision on Foreign Students Faces Legal Challenges
Greg Jarrett, a legislative analyst, expressed on Monday that he believes President Trump’s move to block foreign students from attending Harvard will stand up in court.
The Department of Homeland Security revoked its certification for Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) on May 22. This action led Harvard to file a lawsuit, claiming the university had not adequately addressed issues like anti-Semitism and had provided misleading information regarding funding from abroad. Jarrett suggested that while a district judge might initially block the program’s suspension, such a decision wouldn’t sway the appeal process.
Lawrence Jones, co-host of “Fox and Friends,” remarked, “This really centers on executive power. They want to examine these students, and it raises questions about whether a judge can block that.” He added that it didn’t seem like the judge would be strictly adhering to the law, considering the government has delegated authority to the president, rather than to the university itself.
Jones further stated, “The president can prohibit foreign students’ entry if it’s deemed detrimental to U.S. interests. Therefore, findings from Harvard’s own reports are significant. The administration’s decision to shut down this program is rooted in security concerns.” He noted that the judge in question was appointed by Obama and has a history of ruling against the Trump administration.
Since the attack on October 7, 2023, by Hamas—which resulted in over 1,200 deaths in Israel—pro-Palestinian protests have taken place, leading to disruptions at many universities, including Harvard. Nevertheless, Jarrett insisted the district court’s decision is likely to be overturned upon appeal.
“Ultimately, when this case reaches the Supreme Court, I believe they’ll side with the president,” he told Jones, recalling a previous case from seven years ago that favored presidential authority.
He emphasized that Harvard could have avoided this situation if they had provided the requested data to the Department of Homeland Security, instead of opting for legal action.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the order on May 29, granting a provisional injunction to Harvard. This same judge later expanded the injunction to also cover an executive order enacted by the Trump administration on June 4.
