TEHRAN (Tasnim) - A federal judge temporarily blocked a proclamation by US President Donald Trump that banned foreign students from entering the US to attend Harvard University.

Trumps proclamation, issued Wednesday, was the latest attempt by his administration to prevent the nations oldest and wealthiest college from enrolling a quarter of its students, who accounts for much of Harvards research and scholarship.

Harvard filed a legal challenge the next day, asking for a judge to block Trumps order and calling it illegal retaliation for Harvards rejection of White House demands. Harvard said the president was attempting an end-run around a previous court order, the AP reported.

A few hours later, US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston issued a temporary restraining order against Trumps Wednesday proclamation. Harvard, she said, had demonstrated it would sustain immediate and irreparable injury before she would have an opportunity to hear from the parties in the lawsuit.

Burroughs also extended the temporary hold she placed on the administrations previous attempt to end Harvards enrollment of international students. Last month, the Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvards certification to host foreign students and issue paperwork to them for their visas, only to have Burroughs block the action temporarily. Trumps order this week invoked a different legal authority.

If Trumps measure were to survive this court challenge, it would block thousands of students who are scheduled to come to Harvards campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the summer and fall terms.

While the court case proceeds, Harvard is making contingency plans so students and visiting scholars can continue their work at the university, President Alan Garber said in a message to the campus and alumni.

Harvard has attracted a growing number of the brightest minds from around the world, with international enrollment growing from 11% of the student body three decades ago to 26% today.