CNN's Wolf Blitzer was stunned Friday by analysis of Harvard University's lawsuit against the Trump administration's decree that international students are no longer permitted to attend the institution.
The Department of Homeland Security, under Kristi Noem, announced Thursday that it was barring Harvard from admitting international students as punishment for defying the president on DEI and alleged antisemitism on campus, among other things. Trump has already banned the university from receiving $2.2 billion in federal funding.
Justice correspondent Katelyn Polantz characterized the suit as being a huge test of the administration's powers over U.S. academic institutions.
"Well, Wolf, this may be the big one," Polantz began. "The administration of Donald Trump versus one of the most significant cultural institutions in the United States — academic institution — Harvard University. This is a case where Harvard says what the administration has already done, yesterday, by revoking its ability to have foreign students as part of its programs on campus — that it is an immediate and devastating effect to this university."
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Polantz said Harvard has more than 7,000 students on its campus with visas, and that the Trump order will "throw into disarray" its academic programs, research laboratories, and clinics.
She classified the suit as "very fast moving," as international students prepare to return to campus for summer programs.
"The Department of Homeland Security does have a statement in response to the lawsuit so far," Polantz continued. "They say, 'This lawsuit seeks to kneecap the president's constitutional vested powers under Article II.' What that means? The president's the president; he should be able to do what he wants here on visas, immigration, even related to this university."
Polantz said Harvard's "argument in court is that it's a constitutional encroachment of their ability to decide what their curriculum is and what they do as a university."
The case was assigned to a judge Friday morning, according to Polantz — Judge Allison Burroughs, "an Obama appointee on the federal court in Massachusetts."
Blitzer remarked that the international students being affected, "can't believe this is happening here in the United States of America."
