On Sunday, United States President Donald Trump defended his administration’s decision to block Harvard University from enrolling foreign students, following a court ruling that temporarily halted the action.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump criticized Harvard for hosting nearly 31 percent of international students while claiming they receive no financial support from their home countries.
“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,” the president stated.
The dispute began last week when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked Harvard’s authority to admit foreign nationals. Noem had previously warned the university to release information about student visa holders allegedly involved in “illegal and violent activities” or face penalties.
Harvard responded by filing a lawsuit, accusing the federal government of acting in an “arbitrary, capricious, unlawful, and unconstitutional” manner.
A federal judge quickly issued a temporary injunction, suspending the government’s directive and allowing Harvard to continue admitting international students for now.
This move is part of a wider campaign by the Trump administration targeting American universities over concerns related to anti-Semitism and what officials describe as excessive diversity initiatives.
The administration has also revoked visas and deported foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, alleging links to Hamas, a Palestinian militant group.
Last month, Harvard faced a freeze of $2.2 billion in federal funding, and earlier this month, the Department of Education threatened to cut off the university’s research grants entirely.
