A federal judge on Friday indefinitely paused Donald Trump's bid to block Harvard from enrolling foreign students as the U.S. president said a "deal" with the Ivy League school was in the works.

The order by District Judge Allison Burroughs will allow international students to continue to attend the elite university while a lawsuit filed by Harvard plays out in the courts.

Trump, who has cut federal grants for Harvard and tried a host of different tactics to block the institution from hosting international students, said that his administration has been holding negotiations with Harvard.