Harvard University has hit back at the US government's decision to bar it from enrolling foreign students. The University has successfully filed a lawsuit to — at least temporarily — block the revocation. The Trump government's move, however, has had a chilling effect on campus.
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00:00In the U.S. town of Cambridge, Massachusetts, the opposition to Donald Trump is visible in plain sight.
00:08As the home of Harvard University, residents here are feeling the effects of his policy decisions first hand.
00:16As I bike to work every morning, I put up a sign or two or five or ten.
00:20The government's decision to stop the Ivy League school from hosting foreign students has had a chilling effect on campus.
00:28No one who would be directly affected by the ban was willing to go on record.
00:34I'm not affected by what's going on, but my colleagues are.
00:40And I don't know, it's just stressful, but kind of like just have to not panic and just roll with the punches.
00:46There's definitely been worry among my international friends.
00:50A lot of my friends who are international are just trying to keep their heads down, not get involved with any protests or anything crazy because they don't want to have their visas revoked.
01:01But the university is fighting back.
01:05Today, the school's president filed a lawsuit to fight the order, saying we condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action.
01:13It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfil their dream.
01:28For now, a judge has temporarily blocked the ban, granting relief to the roughly 7,000 international students who make up more than a quarter of the population.
01:38But the threats don't only affect the international student body itself.
01:43Everyone we talk to underlines the huge implications it would have on the academic excellence at Harvard.
01:50I think it would be a travesty for the university, probably.
01:54I feel like the best part of my experience has been hearing all the different perspectives of people from around the globe.
02:01And to deprive us of that is to deprive us of a truly Harvard college experience.
02:07I think that Harvard would simply not be Harvard anymore without its ability to bring together the best and the brightest from around the world.
02:16It will be a loss.
02:17It will be a loss to Harvard.
02:19It will be a loss to higher education.
02:22It will be a loss for sure for the students.
02:25In just a few days, Harvard will hold its annual commencement ceremony to celebrate its graduating class.
02:32Many students from around the world will share this honour, but it's unclear whether the same will hold true in 2026.
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