This marks a major escalation in the Trump administration’s standoff with Harvard, one of America’s oldest and wealthiest educational institutions.
New ban targets foreign students at Harvard
The order prohibits entry to any new student arriving on a visa to attend courses or exchange programmes hosted by Harvard University. “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,” Trump stated in the proclamation.
According to the White House, the legal justification rests on provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, allowing the President to block entry of individuals if deemed “detrimental” to national interests.
A White House fact sheet added: “President Trump wants our institutions to have foreign students, but believes that the foreign students should be people that can love our country.”
Security claims and foreign influence
The Trump administration has cited security concerns as the basis for the move. The two-page directive accuses Harvard of having “demonstrated a history of concerning foreign ties and radicalism.”The proclamation refers to longstanding FBI warnings about foreign adversaries exploiting access to American universities. “The FBI has long warned that foreign adversaries take advantage of easy access to American higher education to steal information, exploit research and development and spread false information,” the document said.The directive claims that Harvard received over $150 million in funding from China and links foreign students to antisemitic incidents on campus. “Many agitators behind antisemitic incidents on campus were found to be foreign students,” it reads.
The university was also accused of failing to report adequately on “known illegal or dangerous activities” involving international students to the Department of Homeland Security.
Broader crackdown on higher education
The visa suspension is only one part of a wider offensive targeting Harvard. Trump has repeatedly accused U.S. universities of hosting anti-American movements. “Top U.S. universities are cradles of anti-American ideology,” he claimed last month.
Last month, the Trump administration revoked Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification. That decision was blocked by a federal court in Boston, but Wednesday’s order cites a separate legal basis.
Earlier, the U.S. State Department instructed its embassies and consulates worldwide to conduct stricter vetting — including social media screening — of anyone seeking a visa to travel to Harvard for any reason.
Tensions rooted in Governance dispute
At the heart of the conflict is Harvard’s resistance to government demands regarding campus governance and curriculum. The Trump administration has pushed for reforms that, according to Harvard, would compromise the institution’s independence.
The university argues that the new restrictions are retaliation for its refusal to align with federal expectations. In response, Harvard has expanded its legal challenge, calling the federal demands “unconstitutional.”
Funding cuts and legal battles
The visa ban follows a series of financial penalties. The Trump administration terminated $450 million in federal grants to Harvard last month and had already frozen more than $2.2 billion in funding. Harvard’s tax-exempt status is also under threat, with new legislation targeting large university endowments.
Trump has criticised the university for not doing enough to protect Jewish students following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The administration contends that the institution has not taken sufficient action on campus antisemitism.
In the latest twist, the Department of Homeland Security has claimed that Harvard failed to comply with a request for records linked to misconduct by foreign students. Harvard says it responded in good faith, but the administration deemed the response inadequate.
While Wednesday’s order has been signed into effect, legal challenges are likely to follow. The previous attempt to block foreign students’ entry was halted by a federal judge. But with Trump invoking a different legal route this time, the outcome remains uncertain.
With a quarter of Harvard’s student body made up of international students, the decision could have wide-reaching effects — not only on education but also on diplomatic and research ties.
As one administration official put it: “This is about protecting the country. If institutions won’t cooperate, the government will act.”
(With inputs from Reuters, AP)
