Good news for Indians at Harvard! US resumes Ivy League's student visas blocked by Trump

In a swift reversal driven by court order, the U.S. State Department has instructed all its missions and consular offices worldwide to resume processing visas for Harvard University students and exchange visitors. The move comes days after a federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked former President Donald Trump’s attempt to ban foreign students from entering the Ivy League school.

The directive, issued via diplomatic cable on June 6 and signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, cites the court's restraining order and states that the resumed processing is “in accordance with” the judge’s decision.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs granted the temporary restraining order late Thursday, halting the enforcement of Trump’s proclamation until the matter is further litigated.

Trump had justified the entry ban on foreign students at Harvard by invoking national security concerns. But the judge’s order now permits U.S. embassies and consulates to resume issuing student and exchange visitor visas specifically for the university.

The decision follows escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Harvard, which has resisted federal demands to alter its governance, academic curriculum, and campus ideology. The administration has responded with measures including freezing billions in grants and proposing to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status, sparking multiple legal battles.

Harvard has argued that these actions amount to retaliation for refusing to fall in line with political pressures.

While the State Department declined to comment on internal communications, the cable made clear that other visa rules remain unchanged, including enhanced vetting of applicants’ social media activity and scrutiny of their online presence.

(With Reuters inputs)