Trump suspends visas for new foreign students at Harvard over security risk

In a fresh escalation, President Trump suspends new visas for Harvard students over national security, alleging foreign ties, secrecy and failure to address antisemitism

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) signed an order to suspend visas for new foreign students at Harvard University, the White House said in a statement.

 

The move aims to discourage international students from enrolling at Harvard University, one of the Ivy League schools of the US.

 

Trump noted that allowing Harvard to continue enrolling foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, would jeopardise national security. He further added, “I have determined that the entry of the class of foreign nationals described above is detrimental to the interests of the United States because, in my judgment, Harvard’s conduct has rendered it an unsuitable destination for foreign students and researchers.”

 

 

The move marks an escalation in the White House’s ongoing dispute with the university, following a federal court’s decision last week to block the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from barring international students at Harvard. 

 

The proclamation also directed the Secretary of State “to consider revoking” F, M, and J visas for current Harvard students who meet the proclamation’s “criteria”.

 

The White House has accused Harvard University of having “concerning foreign ties”. The executive order signed by Trump also alleged failure on the part of the university in releasing sufficient information about the international students.

 

The White House also noted, “Harvard is either not fully reporting its disciplinary records for foreign students or is not seriously policing its foreign students,” thereby accusing the university of failing to address the issue of antisemitism on campus. 

 

Trump administration vs Harvard University 

The Trump administration’s latest move comes shortly after a ruling by US District Judge Allison Burroughs, who barred the administration from altering Harvard’s international student visa programme. That decision followed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s directive to revoke Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), citing the institution’s failure to provide student conduct records requested by the department in April.

 

It was previously reported that the Trump administration is planning to terminate all federal contracts with Harvard University, which were valued at $100 million. This came after the Trump administration froze nearly $3.2 billion in grants and contracts.