WASHINGTON, May 24 — A federal judge has temporarily blocked the United States (US) government's plan to exclude foreign students from the elite Harvard University, reported the German News Agency (dpa).
An interim injunction issued by Judge Allison D. Burroughs on Friday prevents the government from prohibiting the university from continuing to admit international students through a special federal programme.
The university had filed a lawsuit against the US government's move at the US District Court for the District of Massachussetts just hours before the judge's decision.
In the lawsuit, it accused US President Donald Trump's administration of attempting to pressure the institution with an unlawful retaliatory measure.
The judge's decision is likely to be just the first step in a long legal battle. It is not a final ruling.
Judge Burroughs concluded that if the government's order moves forward, Harvard "will sustain immediate and irreparable injury before there is an opportunity to hear from all parties."
She had immediately ordered a hearing following the filing of the lawsuit.
— Bernama
