A young Ethiopian student, Yonas Nuguse, achieved his dream of being accepted to Harvard University after overcoming significant obstacles, including the civil war in Tigray, prolonged internet and phone outages, and the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which delayed his high school graduation. However, his future at Harvard—and that of other international students—has been thrown into uncertainty due to a new directive from President Donald Trump seeking to block foreign students from entering the United States to attend the university.
Harvard responded by filing a legal challenge, arguing that Trump’s action was illegal retaliation for the university’s refusal to comply with White House demands and an attempt to circumvent a previous court order that had protected Harvard’s ability to host international students. The university contends that targeting only those coming to study at Harvard does not meet the legal definition of barring a “class of aliens” detrimental to U.S. interests, and instead amounts to a government vendetta against Harvard.
Shortly after Harvard amended its lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order against Trump’s proclamation, finding that Harvard had demonstrated it would suffer immediate and irreparable harm before a full hearing could be held. Previously, a federal judge had already blocked the Department of Homeland Security from revoking Harvard’s certification to enroll foreign students.
As the legal battle unfolds, international students like Nuguse remain in limbo, anxiously awaiting the outcome to determine if they will be able to attend Harvard in the fall.
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