Trump backs down on Harvard student ban as campus to get long-term reprieve

A Boston federal judge said at a hearing May 29 that she planned to issue a preliminary injunction that blocks the Department of Homeland Security from revoking Harvard's ability to enroll foreign exchange students.

The comments from U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs came as the Trump administration attempted to walk back its May 22 directive that immediately revoked Harvard's participation in a federal exchange student program.

The administration sent a letter directly to Harvard on May 22 letter revoking its ability to enroll international students on the grounds that it was “perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies.”

Harvard sued the Trump administration in Massachusetts, and U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs temporarily blocked the administration from revoking the university's participation in the program. Harvard then moved forward seeking longer-term injunction on the Trump administration's actions as the lawsuit moves forward.

The Trump administration filed a document in court shortly before the May 29 hearing, saying it would provide Harvard with a 30-day process to contest its removal from the international student program.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump backs down on Harvard student ban, campus to get reprieve