Fact Check: Harvard has won two preliminary injunctions against the DHS.

Fact Check: "Harvard has won two preliminary injunctions against the DHS."

What We Know

The claim that "Harvard has won two preliminary injunctions against the DHS" requires careful examination of the available legal documentation and news reports regarding the ongoing litigation between Harvard University and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

On June 20, 2025, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction that blocked the DHS from revoking Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. This injunction allows Harvard to continue enrolling international students while the case proceeds (source-3).
Prior to this, Harvard had filed for a preliminary injunction on May 29, 2025, which was intended to maintain the status quo while the lawsuit was ongoing. However, the outcome of this specific request is less clear from the sources available. The court's decision on this date was to hold a hearing regarding the injunction, but it does not explicitly state that the injunction was granted at that time (source-5).
The New York Times reported on the June 20 injunction, highlighting that it prevents the DHS from implementing its revocation of Harvard's SEVP certification, which is crucial for the university's international student programs (source-2).

Analysis

The claim that Harvard has won "two" preliminary injunctions against the DHS is misleading. While there is a confirmed preliminary injunction issued on June 20, 2025, there is no clear evidence that a second injunction was granted on May 29, 2025. The May 29 filing was indeed for a preliminary injunction, but it appears to have been a request that led to a hearing rather than an immediate grant of an injunction.

The sources used to verify this claim include legal documents from the District of Massachusetts and reputable news outlets. The New York Times and Harvard's own communications provide reliable accounts of the judicial decisions made. However, the lack of clarity regarding the May 29 injunction suggests that the claim may be overstated or misinterpreted.

Conclusion

Needs Research. The claim that Harvard has won two preliminary injunctions against the DHS is not fully substantiated by the available evidence. While one preliminary injunction is confirmed, the status of the May 29 request remains ambiguous, requiring further investigation to clarify whether it resulted in a separate injunction or not.

Fact Check: Harvard has won two preliminary injunctions against the DHS.