Tag: foreign students

  • Trump Issues Proclamation Halting Harvard Student Visas

    Trump Issues Proclamation Halting Harvard Student Visas

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    Harvard Business School campus viewed from a distance in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 15, 2025. — Reuters

    On Wednesday, President Donald Trump issued a directive suspending the entry of foreign nationals wishing to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University, according to the White House. This move comes amid a growing conflict between the Trump administration and the prestigious Ivy League school.

    The directive also instructs the State Department to “consider revoking” the academic or exchange visas of any current Harvard students who fall under the criteria specified in the proclamation.

    Last month, the State Department ordered its embassies and consulates around the world to implement additional scrutiny of visa applicants aiming to travel to Harvard for any purpose, as detailed in an internal communication seen by Reuters.

    Harvard contends that the Trump administration is retaliating against the institution for not yielding to its demands regarding the governance, curriculum, and political views of its faculty and students.

    The two-page proclamation stated that Harvard has a “notable history of troubling foreign connections and radical viewpoints.”

    The FBI has repeatedly cautioned that foreign adversaries exploit easy access to U.S. higher education to steal sensitive information, exploit research and development, and propagate misinformation, as noted in the proclamation.

    A student at a Harvard graduation event wearing a cap inscribed with a message in support of international students, May 29, 2025. — Reuters
    A student at a Harvard graduation event wearing a cap inscribed with a message in support of international students, May 29, 2025. — Reuters

    The proclamation claimed that there has been a “significant increase in crime” at Harvard in recent years, while the university allegedly failed to address certain types of misconduct among its community.

    Furthermore, it accused Harvard of not adequately informing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about foreign students engaged in “illegal or dangerous activities.”

    The proclamation criticized Harvard for its “extensive dealings with foreign adversaries,” citing that the institution received over $150 million from China alone. It further claimed that several individuals involved in antisemitic incidents on campus were identified as foreign students.

    These new restrictions on student visas for Harvard represent another facet of the Trump administration’s campaign against the U.S.’s oldest and wealthiest university.

    This action follows previous attempts to halt billions in grants and funding, challenge the university’s tax-exempt status, and launch probes into whether Harvard discriminated against white, Asian, male, or heterosexual employees and job applicants.

    Trump has accused leading U.S. universities of fostering anti-American sentiment. Just last month, his administration attempted to revoke Harvard’s ability to accept foreign students, although this action was eventually blocked by a federal judge.

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  • Trump Shuts Down Harvard’s International Student Program

    Trump Shuts Down Harvard’s International Student Program

    Harvard University Faces Significant Policy Shift on Foreign Students

    Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, December 12, 2023. — Reuters

    • Over 27% of Harvard’s student population consists of international students.
    • The announcement was made by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
    • The university declined to follow federal rules regarding admissions.

    NEW YORK: In a surprising turn of events, the administration of President Donald Trump has prohibited Harvard University from accepting international students.

    This decision affects a significant portion of the student body and represents a serious confrontation between Trump’s administration and one of the nation’s most prestigious universities.

    Trump has accused Harvard of failing to adhere to federal guidelines, citing an on-campus atmosphere he believes is unsafe for Jewish students and advantageous to radical ideologies.

    The President expressed his frustration towards Harvard—an institution that has produced 162 Nobel Prize laureates—after it disregarded his request for oversight on its admissions and hiring practices, which he claims operate under anti-Semitic and excessively liberal ideologies.

    “Effective immediately, Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is revoked,” wrote Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a letter to the Ivy League university. This program is crucial for allowing foreign students to study in the U.S.

    Last month, Trump had warned that Harvard would lose its ability to enroll international students if it did not comply with government stipulations that would place the university under external political scrutiny.

    “It is a privilege to enroll foreign students,” Noem reminded Harvard in her letter. “All institutions must adhere to Department of Homeland Security requirements, including reporting obligations related to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, to maintain this privilege.”

    Due to Harvard’s refusal to comply with repeated requests for information, alongside claims of fostering an unsafe and hostile environment for Jewish students, as well as promoting pro-Hamas sentiments and adopting biased ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies, the university has forfeited this privilege.

    According to university statistics, over 27% of Harvard’s enrollment consisted of international students for the 2024-25 academic year. Harvard has yet to respond to inquiries for comment.

  • Trump Admin Temporarily Revives Legal Status for Foreign Students

    Trump Admin Temporarily Revives Legal Status for Foreign Students

    BOSTON: The Trump administration announced on Friday that it would reinstate the student visa registrations of potentially thousands of international students in the U.S. whose legal status had recently been revoked.

    This decision came during a court session in Boston, where a federal judge was hearing a case filed by a group of international students challenging the administration’s decision.

    The legal status of these students had been terminated due to their information being removed from a database maintained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This database, known as the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), tracks approximately 1.1 million foreign student visa holders, and the removals put the affected students at risk of deportation.

    Since Donald Trump took office on January 20, over 4,700 students have had their records eliminated from the SEVIS database, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association. The database serves to ensure compliance with visa requirements and contains details such as students’ addresses, academic progress, and other pertinent information. To remain listed, student visa holders are required to adhere to specific regulations, including restrictions on employment and prohibitions against illegal activities.

    Just prior to the hearing on the case involving Boston University student Carrie Zheng, U.S. District Judge F. Denis Saylor informed the court that he had received correspondence from a government attorney indicating a shift in ICE’s stance.

    The email stated that ICE is currently "developing a policy to guide SEVIS record terminations." Until this new policy is finalized, the SEVIS records for Zheng and other similarly affected students will either remain active or be reinstated.

  • Harvard’s Foreign Student Enrollment at Risk, Trump Admin Warns

    Harvard’s Foreign Student Enrollment at Risk, Trump Admin Warns

    Students walking on Harvard University’s campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 15, 2025.

    • Human rights advocates express concerns over free speech.
    • Harvard dismisses demands from the Trump administration this week.
    • The U.S. government has frozen over $2 billion in funding for Harvard.

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that Harvard University may lose its capability to enroll international students if it fails to comply with the Trump administration’s requests for information regarding specific visa holders. This marks the latest increase in tensions between the government and the prestigious institution.

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated on Wednesday that her department is terminating two DHS grants that total over $2.7 million to Harvard.

    Noem conveyed in her letter to Harvard that the university must provide documentation regarding what she termed the “illegal and violent activities” of foreign student visa holders by April 30.

    “If Harvard cannot confirm it is fully compliant with its reporting requirements, the university will lose its ability to enroll foreign students,” Noem said in a public statement.

    A representative for Harvard acknowledged receipt of Noem’s letter concerning both the grant cancellations and the scrutiny of foreign student visas.

    The spokesperson emphasized that Harvard is firm in its stance to “maintain its independence and uphold its constitutional rights” while also indicating its intention to comply with applicable laws.

    During Trump’s administration, universities have faced threats of funding cuts due to pro-Palestinian demonstrations on their campuses.

    The administration is actively attempting to deport some foreign demonstrators and has revoked numerous visas nationwide.

    “With an endowment of $53.2 billion, Harvard has enough resources to support its own turmoil – DHS will not intervene,” Noem stated, also alleging the existence of an “anti-American, pro-Hamas ideology” at the institution.

    Harvard has previously asserted its commitment to combatting antisemitism and other forms of prejudice on its campus while respecting academic freedoms and the right to protest.

    Trump’s Enforcement Campaign

    Last month, the Trump administration announced it was assessing $9 billion in federal contracts and grants to Harvard, subsequently calling for restrictions including a mask mandate and elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as conditions for the university’s continued federal funding.

    On Monday, Harvard rejected multiple demands that it claimed would relinquish university control to the government. In response, the Trump administration declared a freeze on $2.3 billion in funding.

    Trump also threatened on Tuesday to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status. Reports from CNN indicated that plans were in motion within the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to withdraw this status, with a final decision anticipated soon.

    Harvard argued that there is no legal basis to revoke its tax-exempt status, claiming such a move would be unprecedented and would negatively impact financial aid for students, as well as disrupt essential medical research programs.

    Human rights advocates have voiced concerns regarding free speech and academic freedoms in light of the government’s aggressive stance.

    The Trump administration has also suspended or canceled funding for other universities, including Columbia, Princeton, Brown, Cornell, and Northwestern, citing similar issues.

    It has threatened to withhold funding due to cultural conflicts surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and policies regarding transgender issues.