Bryn Mawr has signed an amicus brief in support of Harvard University’s ongoing legal efforts to block the Trump administration’s attempts to bar international students from U.S. universities. The brief was filed by the American Council on Education (ACE) and 22 other higher education associations on Jan. 20. It urges the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to uphold an injunction which, in September 2025, was placed on the Trump Administration’s actions.
In May 2025, Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, which allows for foreign students to study at the university, was revoked by the Department of Homeland Security. The department accused the university of cultivating a “toxic campus environment,” listing a number of events and incidents which had taken place on Harvard’s campus. This included findings from a government investigation into anti-Semitism. The move was blocked by a judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Trump responded by issuing a presidential proclamation which similarly aimed to prevent international students from attending Harvard. However, the proclamation was also blocked by the district judge. In an injunction, District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled that the government could not prevent Harvard from enrolling international students.
The Trump administration has appealed this decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The ACE amicus brief encourages the First Circuit to not overturn Judge Burroughs’ decision.
In signing the amicus brief, Bryn Mawr joins over 40 universities and colleges in defending American educational institutions from infringement from the government. In a press release, the American Council on Education emphasized that should the injunction be overturned, there would be much farther reaching effects than just at Harvard.
This is not the first time that Bryn Mawr has signed an amicus brief of this kind. In 2019, the college joined 110 other colleges and universities in signing a brief to support continued access to the Optional Practical Training for international students. At the time, Kim Cassidy, former president of the College, asserted that, “Bryn Mawr will continue to advocate for educational opportunity of all our students and alumnae/i.” Over 5 years later, the ACE amicus brief is seemingly a continuation of this effort.
