A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from revoking Harvard University's ability to enroll foreign students, calling the order a "blatant violation" of the U.S. Constitution.
Harvard filed a complaint Friday morning in Boston federal court, and U.S. District judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order hours later freezing the policy.
"Revoking Harvard’s certification is unlawful many times over," the judge wrote in her order. "It is a pillar of our constitutional system that the government cannot 'invok[e] legal sanctions and other means of coercion' to police private speech, especially when the government’s treatment is animated by viewpoint discrimination. The government’s effort to punish the University for its refusal to surrender its academic independence and for its perceived viewpoint is a patent violation of the First Amendment."
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White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson dismissed Harvard's lawsuit as "frivolous."
"If only Harvard cared this much about ending the scourge of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators on their campus they wouldn't be in this situation to begin with," Jackson said. "Harvard should spend their time and resources on creating a safe campus environment instead of filing frivolous lawsuits."
CNN's Elie Honig said the temporary restraining order was a significant win for the university.
"It is a big win for Harvard, temporary but very significant," Honig said. "What this says is the court is blocking the Trump administration from blocking Harvard from bringing in international students. In other words, as of this moment, it's back to the status quo. Harvard may continue to bring in international students."