Trump administration threatens Harvard with foreign student ban
The US government has threatened to ban Harvard University from enrolling foreign students following the university’s refusal to comply with a list of demands from President Donald Trump’s administration and a freeze of $2.2 billion in federal funding.
The White House has ordered Harvard to change its hiring, admissions, and teaching practices as part of its campaign to combat antisemitism on campus. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also requested records on the “illegal and violent” activities of foreign student visa holders at the university.
In response, Harvard President Alan Garber rejected the demands, stating the university would not surrender its independence or constitutional rights. He said the demands were an attempt to regulate the university’s “intellectual conditions.”
Noem warned in a letter that Harvard would lose the privilege of enrolling international students if it failed to comply. International students currently make up over 27% of the student population.
Additionally, the Trump administration has threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status, a move that could cost the university millions of dollars. Harvard argues there is no legal basis for such action and warned it would harm its ability to fulfill its educational mission.
This confrontation comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to review antisemitism policies at over 60 universities. It follows actions taken against Columbia University, which agreed to demands after $400 million in funding was pulled.
Although Harvard has made some concessions, such as removing the leadership of its Center for Middle Eastern Studies, it has refused to meet the most recent list of demands from the White House.
President Trump intensified his criticism, declaring Harvard could “no longer be considered even a decent place of learning,” as part of his broader campaign targeting higher education institutions he accuses of being hostile to conservative values.
Credit: BBC
