Overview

• A US federal judge last week issued an injunction blocking Homeland Security’s directive barring Harvard from issuing new F-1 and J-1 visas to foreign students.
• President Trump has labeled Harvard “antisemitic” and “left-extreme” and is weighing rerouting up to $3 billion in federal grants to vocational schools.
• Harvard’s lawsuit argues that administration demands—such as ending diversity programs and submitting detailed student data—violate academic freedom and constitutional protections.
• More than 6 800 international students at Harvard face ongoing visa and enrollment uncertainty, while German and Hong Kong officials have publicly offered alternative study options.
• Analysts warn that a prolonged decline in foreign enrollment could cost the US economy about $44 billion and undermine long-term research and innovation capacity.