Nigerian students, others safe as judge blocks Trump's controversial Harvard student ban

A federal judge in the United States has temporarily halted an executive order from President Donald Trump that would have barred Harvard University from admitting international students a move that would have affected thousands, including many Nigerians.

Judge Allison Burroughs issued a restraining order blocking the policy’s implementation, citing the risk of “immediate and irreparable injury” to Harvard and its global student community.

The decision came just hours after Harvard filed an updated lawsuit on Thursday, accusing the Trump administration of retaliating against the institution for expressing its views and standing up for student rights under the First Amendment.

Trump’s proposed six-month ban was framed as a national security measure. His administration alleged that Harvard had failed to address antisemitism on campus and claimed the school maintained “extensive entanglements” with foreign governments, in addition to allegedly infringing on the civil rights of students and faculty.

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Harvard President, Alan Garber, responded by reassuring affected students. “The university is actively working on contingency plans to support all international students during this period of uncertainty,” he said in a statement.

The ruling is the latest twist in an ongoing standoff between the elite institution and the federal government. Earlier in May, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem withdrew Harvard’s certification to host international students—a decision that was also blocked by the courts.

Harvard’s international student body is a critical part of its community. For the 2024–2025 academic year, the university enrolled nearly 7,000 foreign students, making up 27% of its total population. Nigerian students, long a vital presence in U.S. universities, are among those who would have been directly impacted by the ban.

The legal battle continues, but for now, Judge Burroughs’ ruling ensures that international students, including many from Nigeria, remain welcome at Harvard, at least temporarily.

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