After six months of work, Shreya Mishra Reddy had another few weeks, and the last learning module stood on her and she had been chasing her more than half of her qualification: Harvard graduates.
Her last unit in which she carried out a leadership program at Harvard University resumed Wednesday. Since then, Reddy booked a flight to Cambridge, Massachusetts in July to Cambridge, Massachusetts, personally completed her certificate and graduated from one of the world’s most prestigious universities – she and her family have shared a dream for more than half of her life.
She said it was also a dream, which cost her at least $90,000.
Last week, Reddy was in the middle of a work meeting at home when she saw a notification popping up on the phone: The Trump administration banned Harvard from accepting international students like her. She researched the optional practical training visa that allowed her to work after completing her undergraduate degree at Duke University. But the visa will expire in January, and although the ban is temporarily blocked, she said the news made her nervous about boarding the flight this summer.
Reddy, 33, told CBC happen In an interview with Toronto where her husband lives.
“If we don’t allow us to go back to campus, then we don’t allow graduation…it takes a lot away,” added Reddy, who grew up in India. “Studying at Harvard is not a degree. That's more.”
Reddy is one of the thousands of international students at Harvard, who say they are in danger of confusion, anxiety as they watch the legal battle between the school and the Trump administration.
This is a review of the conflict.
How did the controversy begin?
Last month, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristy Noem asked Harvard last month to provide a large amount of private student data, including course work for each international student and information about the discipline and legal history of any student visa holder. Later, Noem expanded her request to include any videotapes from international students who have been involved in illegal, dangerous or protests over the past five years, whether on Harvard's campus or on Harvard campus.
After weeks of back and forth, Harvard rejected part of the request. The Trump administration retaliated by revoking Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which means the university is no longer capable of participating in international students.
- Are you studying at Harvard University in Canada? How will the Trump administration’s actions to foreign students affect you and your learning? We would like to hear from you. Send an email to ask@cbc.ca
The decision could force schools to enrol more than a quarter to change schools or leave the U.S.
The government has also deprived it of its authority to sponsor F and J visas for international students and scholars in the 2025-26 academic year.
The F-1 visa is a visa that foreign nationals are used to enter the United States and attend universities accredited like Harvard. The J-1 visa is for people who have received a “recognized education and cultural exchange program.”
Trump has frozen billions of dollars in federal grants in recent weeks, causing the university to sue for recovery funds. The government accused the schools of not doing enough to curb anti-Semitism after pro-Palestinian protests that have emerged in the past two years.
How did it go to court?
Harvard University sued the government last Friday. The claim argues that the government violates the University's First Amendment rights to control its own governance and the “ideology” of students and employees.
“With the stroke of the pen, the government tried to erase a quarter of Harvard's student groups, who made a huge contribution to the university and its mission,” the lawsuit said in a lawsuit filed in the District Court of Massachusetts, U.S. District Court. “Harvard is not Harvard without international students.”
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs temporarily suspended the Trump administration's ban on Harvard's admissions capacity. Foreign students include one in four students at Harvard University, including hundreds of Canadians.
The judge issued a temporary restraining order that blocked the Trump administration's actions late Friday. Judge Allison D. Burroughs found Harvard had shown that the ban would result in “immediate and irreparable” harm.
This temporary restriction order remains valid. Another hearing is scheduled to be held in Boston Thursday morning to determine whether the order should be extended, the university said.
What does an interim court order mean for students?
Harvard can continue to enroll international students and scholars as legal cases play a role in the courts as Friday’s interim order blocked the government’s ban.
According to the university, Harvard’s F-1 and J-1 visa programs have been restored, so students and scholars can move forward “without interruption” to their homework. Students who already have visas in Boston will not be revoked or fired, so the school says they do not need to leave the country immediately or change schools immediately.
Thomas Mete, a student at Harvard University in Canada, described the turmoil that the Trump administration experienced when it tried to ban international students. Mete said in a conversation with the National that he was paying close attention to development because he had no plans.
The situation is even more vulnerable for students who have not yet owned a visa or find themselves outside the United States when the government ban lands. Harvard said on its website that inbound students should prepare documents and plan to check in with friends and family throughout the journey, so if they don’t board on time, they can represent Harvard’s international office on their behalf.
“We were told that some of our travel international students and academics have re-approached the country without any questions, but we also believe that given their personal circumstances, everyone needs to assess their own risks and make the choice that best suits them.” Read the university website.
Reddy said she hopes there will be more information before the flight.
“Now, everything is up in the air. I hope the resolution is reached soon, but at the same time, I'm not sure what will happen.”
