U.S. President Donald Trump has today defended his administration’s decision to block foreign students at Harvard University.
On Friday, a US court had temporarily stopped Trump’s administration attempt to withdraw Harvard’s authorisation for international student enrolment, slowing down White House’s efforts to align academic practices with Trump’s policies.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs suspended the move, after Harvard submitted a legal complaint in the Boston Federal Court on Friday, describing the revocation as a “blatant violation” of the U.S. Constitution and federal legislation.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump stated, “Why isn’t Harvard saying that almost 31% of their students are from foreign lands, and yet those countries, some not at all friendly to the United States, pay nothing toward their students’ education, nor do they ever intend to. Nobody told us that!”
“We want to know who those foreign students are, a reasonable request since we give Harvard BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, but Harvard isn’t exactly forthcoming. We want those names and countries. Harvard has $52,000,000, use it, and stop asking for the Federal Government to continue GRANTING money to you!” he concluded.
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Havard had criticised Trump administration’s move to cancel the authorization for admitting foreign students.
“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the university and its mission,” Harvard stated.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had earlier notified Harvard of its immediate Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification revocation.
Havard has come out strongly too, saying that it will challenge Trump’s administration decision in court.
The policy by Trump’s administration affects nearly 7,000 students, due to disputes over campus policies and alleged antisemitism.
The decision is part of President Trump’s broader campaign that also involves freezing $2.7 billion in research grants and threatening Harvard’s tax-exempt status, reflecting a tense relationship between the university and the administration.
The revocation of Harvard’s SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) certification disrupts the visa status of international students, forcing them to transfer to other SEVIS-certified institutions or face deportation.
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Harvard’s president, Alan Garber, termed the demands as an infringement on academic freedom and constitutional rights.
The ongoing tensions between Havard and Donald Trump are rooted in the president administration’s complaints, including Harvard’s resistance to providing student disciplinary records and surveillance footage of campus protests, which the administration links to broader allegations of antisemitism and coordination with foreign entities.
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