Harvard will again accept international students

U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs granted Harvard's request for a temporary injunction just hours after the university filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, accusing the administration of unconstitutional retaliation for refusing to comply with President Donald Trump's demands.

Burroughs said an immediate ban was necessary because without it, Harvard "would suffer immediate and irreparable harm before all sides have a chance to be heard."

She scheduled a hearing for May 29 to consider a longer block on the administration's actions.

For now, the decision likely avoids an acute crisis that could affect current Harvard students, some of whom are set to graduate in just a few days.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston, Harvard called the administration's actions sudden and "devastating for Harvard and its more than 7,000 visa holders."

With one stroke of the pen, the government is trying to erase a quarter of Harvard's student body, the lawsuit states.