A presidential order prohibiting foreign students from attending Harvard was temporarily overturned by a federal judge on Monday, enabling the university to continue accepting them while the legal dispute is pending.
However, because a large percentage of graduate programs are enrolled by overseas students, the uncertainty surrounding the outcome is still left staff and students frantically planning for the upcoming academic year.
According to epidemiology professor Walter Willett of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Trump administration’s recent actions have been blatantly un-American.
There doesn’t appear to be an end in sight, Willett added.
He stated that it would take years before people would feel comfortable returning to this country, even if these regulations were suddenly changed.
Trump s attempt to block international students
On June 6, the judge, Allison Burroughs, initially overruled President Donald Trump’s order prohibiting foreign students from traveling to the United States to attend Harvard.
Harvard filed a lawsuit against the administration right once, arguing that it was unlawful retaliation for the school’s refusal to comply with the White House’s requests.
Burroughs granted Harvard longer-term relief on Monday with a preliminary injunction.
The president and Harvard have been at odds lately, and the potential restriction on foreign students is only the most recent development. Along with starting its own legal battle, the Trump administration has frozen more than $2 billion in government research awards. The administration has previously withdrawn the visas of some students, which a court overturned, and is attempting to deprive the institution of its tax-exempt status.
Meanwhile, Harvard is waiting to see how the ongoing court dispute will affect its almost 7,000 international students who enroll there each year.
President Alan Garber previously denounced the Trump administration’s activities as illegitimate and unjustified, calling it just another illegal move by the administration to exact revenge on Harvard.
“The schools are working to ensure that our international students and scholars will be able to pursue their academic work fully,” Garber said in a news release earlier this month.
Harvard International Enrollment
| International Enrollment | Total Enrollment | Percentage of international students | |
|---|---|---|---|
| College | 1048 | 6980 | 15.0% |
| GSAS | 1735 | 4661 | 37.2% |
| Business | 690 | 1875 | 36.8% |
| Dental | 63 | 252 | 25.0% |
| Design | 494 | 899 | 54.9% |
| Divinity | 75 | 328 | 22.9% |
| Education | 348 | 925 | 37.6% |
| Government | 587 | 1040 | 56.4% |
| Law | 349 | 2009 | 17.4% |
| Medical | 331 | 1389 | 23.8% |
| Public Health | 413 | 986 | 41.9% |
| Extension | 660 | 3630 | 18.2% |
| Total | 6,793 | 24,519 | 27.7% |
Graduate schools impacted most
There will be a greater impact on some university schools than others. For example, 56% of students at Harvard Kennedy School of Government are from other countries.
Additionally, it is the first Harvard school to establish a backup strategy in case the block fails.
The school said this week that it will offer two options to international students who are unable to go to the United States because of visa or admission limitations.
At the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, returning students take in-person classes, while new and returning students complete online coursework with three in-person sessions.
Additionally, more than half of the students at the Graduate School of Design are from abroad.
According to a statement from the university, without its international students, Harvard would not be Harvard and the GSD would not be the GSD.
GSD is one of Harvard’s most international schools, according to a statement sent by Dean Sarah Whiting to the Graduate School of Design community.
Our student body, faculty, staff, and the subject and practice of design all thrive on this internationalism, which is ingrained in our DNA, she added. Our community’s international members offer a remarkable range of viewpoints and experiences that are fundamental to our identity.
Classrooms and research impacted
Furthermore, almost two-fifths of the students at the School of Public Health and the business school are international.
According to Willett, we have been able to obtain the greatest by chosen means. We are the ones that gain from that.
But, he added, that is changing.
According to Willett, students are considering not traveling to the US for graduate school since they risk having their visa revoked, being arrested by ICE, and being taken off the streets.
He said, “It’s a terrible situation.” The losers are us.
For the international students who are already here, it has also been a horrible experience that has affected their research and study, Willett added.
Why incite fear and anxiety in others, even if you have decided not to accept international students? “I said.” It’s plain terrible to be deported, arrested, or imprisoned without any legal options.
For Boston.com, Beth Treffeisen works as a general assignment reporter, covering local news, crime, and business in the New England area.
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