Trump imposes 30-day deadline on foreign student rule as Harvard University hosts 374th graduation ceremony

Harvard University is set to hold its 2025 commencement in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The graduation ceremony comes as the Trump administration continues to pressure the Ivy League school with federal funding cuts and attempts to stop the college from enrolling international students.

Abraham Verghese, a physician and writer will be the speaker at Harvard’s 374th commencement.

Now, the Trump administration informed Harvard University that it would have 30 days to present evidence for why it should continue to have the right to enroll foreign visa holders.

In a significant development, US district court judge Allison Burroughs said she will order the Department of Homeland Security and State Department to not make any changes to Harvard’s student visa program indefinitely.

While the Trump administration has tried to defuse the situation heading into a crucial court hearing for Harvard University’s international student population, the judge is moving forward with putting in place a firm court order – a preliminary injunction – after previously stepping in on an emergency basis last week to stop the Trump administration’s revocation of Harvard’s student visa program.

Burroughs said, “I want to maintain the status quo,” to allow Harvard to continue hosting international students on visas at this time.

Burroughs has told Harvard’s lawyers and the Justice department lawyers to work out an agreement to

stop the revocation of the student visa program for the time being.

“It doesn’t need to be draconian, but I want to make sure it’s worded in such a way that nothing changes,” she said.

On Wednesday, President Trump suggested that Harvard cap its foreign enrollment at 15%, and said the school needs to "show us their lists" of students coming from abroad. Currently, international students make up 27.2% of the student population.

"Harvard has been a disaster," . Trump said. “They're taking people from areas of the world that are very radicalized, and we don't want them making trouble in our country.”

Earlier, the Donald Trump administration in the US revoked Harvard University's eligibility to admit international students. The decision has left the future of thousands of foreign students, including Indians, uncertain.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to terminate Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. She stated that “it is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students.”

The DHS accused Harvard's leadership of creating an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students. It also said that Harvard has not provided details of students involved in terrorist activities and this action against the University holds them “accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus."

Post that, Harvard University filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its decision to stop the Ivy League school from enrolling international students.

According to the complaint filed in Boston federal court, the university called the White House’s move a “blatant violation” of the First Amendment of the US Constitution, warning it will have an “immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders.”

“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,” Harvard said in its lawsuit. “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” the 389-year-old school added.

The university said that it is seeking a temporary restraining order aimed at preventing the Department of Homeland Security from implementing the decision. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson dismissed the case, which was assigned to US District Judge Allison Burroughs.