Trump Bans Visas For New Foreign Students At Harvard University

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new restriction on visas, specifically targeting foreign students preparing to begin studies at Harvard University.

The move intensifies the administration’s ongoing confrontation with institutions of higher learning, particularly Harvard.

“I have determined that it is necessary to restrict the entry of foreign nationals who seek to enter the United States solely or principally to participate in a course of study at Harvard University or in an exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard University,” Trump said in a late-night statement.

The decision marks another escalation in the administration’s contentious relationship with academia. Harvard, a frequent target of Trump’s criticism, has consistently resisted pressure from the White House, publicly opposing calls to cede control over areas such as recruitment, curriculum design, and research priorities.

According to Trump’s proclamation, the policy is effective immediately and “shall apply to aliens who enter or attempt to enter the United States to begin attending Harvard University” through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.

The directive also places current international students already enrolled at Harvard under scrutiny. Their visa status may now be reassessed, and they face the possibility of having “their visas revoked”.

The administration justified the move by citing concerns over “national security”.

“In my judgement, it presents an unacceptable risk to our nation’s security for an academic institution to refuse to provide sufficient information, when asked, about known instances of misconduct and criminality committed by its foreign students,” Trump stated.

He further accused the university of discriminatory practices. “Harvard and its affiliated organizations on campus continue to deny hard-working Americans equal opportunities,” he charged.

“It is not in the interest of the United States to further compound Harvard’s discrimination against non-preferred races, national origins, shared ancestries, or religions by further reducing opportunities for American students through excessive foreign student enrollment,” the proclamation added.

The directive appears to apply exclusively to Harvard University at this time. Nevertheless, it aligns with the Trump administration’s broader campaign against foreign student presence. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently vowed to “aggressively” revoke visas of students from China.

Just last week, as Harvard’s academic year concluded with graduation ceremonies, a judge extended a temporary block on an earlier attempt by Trump to bar the institution from enrolling international students.

— AFP