"It would be devastating," a former president of Harvard — and frequent critic of the university — said of the government's attempt to prevent Harvard from enrolling foreign students.

A judge has ordered a temporary restraining order blocking the Administration from revoking Harvard's certification.

The larger legal battle between Harvard and the Trump administration could raise questions of retaliation versus executive authority.

"... the government can’t pick and choose which information to share based on ideology," a senior staff attorney with the ACLU said.

The Trump administration levels accusations that Harvard University's campus is plagued by Beijing-backed influence operations.

Harvard and the federal government are locked in a battle that boils down to turning over records on international students. But Harvard says it is also about the First Amendment.

For students around the world, an acceptance letter to Harvard University has represented the pinnacle of achievement.