Trump's Harvard ban: Visa suspension and what it means for foreign students

Trump suspends new student visas for Harvard and orders reviews of current foreign students' visas, citing foreign ties and campus unrest. Here's what's happening

US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation suspending the entry of foreign nationals who want to study or participate in exchange programmes at Harvard University. The White House said on Wednesday that the measure was necessary due to the university’s “foreign ties and radicalism”.

 

The order also instructs the State Department to consider revoking existing academic or exchange visas of current Harvard students who fall under the proclamation’s scope.

 

What's happening?

 

Last month, US embassies and consulates were directed to apply extra scrutiny to all visa applicants headed to Harvard, regardless of their purpose. According to the proclamation, the move is part of a broader effort to prevent “foreign adversaries” from exploiting the American higher education system.

 

 

The White House document accuses Harvard of a rise in on-campus crime, lack of disciplinary action, and failure to report foreign students allegedly involved in illegal or dangerous activity. It also cites FBI concerns that foreign nationals have been using US universities to steal research and spread disinformation.

 

The proclamation says Harvard received over $150 million from China and accused foreign students of involvement in antisemitic campus incidents.

 

Why is this happening?

The White House claims:

 

• Harvard failed to act on criminal activities and antisemitic incidents involving foreign nationals.

• The university received over $150 million from China, raising concerns of foreign influence.

• The FBI has flagged US campuses, including Harvard, as vulnerable to research theft and disinformation campaigns.

• While these claims are yet to be independently verified, they’re being used to justify the suspension.

 

Latest move in a long fight

 

The suspension of student visas is the latest in a string of moves targeting the elite university. In recent months, the Trump administration has:

 

• Frozen grants and other funding

• Launched a probe into hiring practices based on race, gender and sexuality

• Attempted to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status

 

Harvard has accused the administration of retaliating because the university refused to give in to political pressure over governance, teaching, and ideological content.

 

How does this affect Indian students?

 

India is the largest source of international students in the US, with over 331,600 students enrolled in the 2023–24 academic year. A significant portion apply to Ivy League institutions like Harvard.

 

Here’s how Indian students could be impacted:

 

• Aspiring Harvard students may face visa rejections or delays, even if they’ve been accepted and paid tuition.

• Current Harvard students from India are at risk of losing their visa status and being asked to leave the country.

• Scholarships and placements could be jeopardised due to uncertainty over legal status and class attendance.

• Parents and guardians may face confusion around refunds, safety, and future plans.

 

Indian foreign education consultants concerned, yet optimistic about America

 

“This development is particularly concerning given that India has become the leading source of international students in the US,” Sanjog Anand, co-founder of Rostrum Education told Business Standard. He noted that over 331,600 Indian students were enrolled in US institutions during the 2023–24 academic year, accounting for nearly 30% of the total international student population.

 

Rahul Subramaniam, co-founder of Athena Education, said Indian students were integral to the financial and academic health of many American universities.

 

“Many public universities rely on their presence for both academic strength and financial sustainability,” he said. “We see the current developments as a moment of flux, not a structural shift.”

 

He added that some measures, including the proposed Green Card for top graduates, suggest there are still efforts underway to retain global talent in the US.

 

Akshay Chaturvedi, founder and CEO of Leverage Edu, said the new visa order was rooted in political priorities.

 

“This is NOT about international students, their opportunities, their dreams etc; this decision stems from a very specific objective, re anti-semitism that the current US Govt is targeting,” he posted on X.

 

He said international students continued to be respected in American society and expressed confidence that the US would remain a top destination.

 

Trump’s shifting stance on foreign students

 

Wednesday’s announcement stands in stark contrast to Trump’s campaign pledge last year. During a podcast interview in June, he had proposed granting automatic Green Cards to foreign graduates of US universities.

 

“It’s so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, from the greatest schools,” Trump said at the time. “That is going to end on Day One.”

 

That promise did not materialise. Instead, Trump has called for a cap on foreign student intake at Harvard, suggesting it should be limited to 15%. “We have people who want to go to Harvard and other schools, they can’t get in because we have foreign students there,” he said on Wednesday at the White House.

 

The move has triggered legal action, confusion, and concern among international students. Earlier this year, thousands saw their permissions to study revoked before a court blocked further status terminations.

 

International students currently make up 5.9% of the nearly 19 million enrolled in US higher education. India sends the most, followed by China.