Phoenix, Arizona: Just hours after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked Harvard University's certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)—a decision that would prevent the school from enrolling international students—a federal judge stepped in with a significant ruling.

On Thursday, a U.S. District Court judge issued a broad injunction halting the Trump administration's plans to detain or deport thousands of international students whose visas had been rescinded earlier in the year. According to The New York Times, the judge described the federal actions as likely unlawful and highly disruptive.

Although the court did not specifically address the Harvard decision, legal analysts told the Times that the scope of the injunction could limit the government's ability to follow through with parts of the certification revocation.

Judge Jeffrey White, a federal judge in California appointed by former President George W. Bush, delivered strong criticism of the administration's tactics. In a 21-page ruling, he argued that federal authorities had severely undermined the legal standing of international students and had likely overstepped their legal boundaries.

"This injunction offers a degree of stability and assurance to the plaintiffs," White wrote. "They now have the confidence to continue their education or employment without the immediate fear of being forced out."

The court order blocks federal officials from detaining or deporting students involved in the SEVP, which is overseen by the DHS and regulates student visas. It also stops the administration from revoking these students' immigration status while legal proceedings are ongoing.

Judge White further criticized the administration's inconsistent legal arguments and suggested that federal officials were intentionally trying to avoid judicial scrutiny. "In this and other similar cases across the country," he wrote, "the government has repeatedly shifted its stance to evade judicial oversight. Unless the court intervenes, this pattern of avoiding established rules could continue unchecked."

The injunction is applicable to all international students in similar circumstances under SEVP, potentially affecting a large number of students nationwide who have been impacted by recent enforcement actions.