‘Harvard has $52,000,000, use it': Donald Trump defends block on foreign students at university
US President Donald Trump took to the social media platform TRUTH on Sunday to defend his administration's move to block the prestigious university from enrolling international students.
Trump asked, "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 student's education, nor do they ever intend to. Nobody told us that!"
Trump said his administration's request to demand specific details about 'violent activities by non-immigrant students' from Harvard is "reasonable".
He said, "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!," Trump said.
US' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had on Thursday revoked Harvard's ability to enroll foreign nationals, throwing the future of thousands of students and the lucrative income stream they provide into doubt.
A federal judge has placed a temporary hold on the Harvard ban.
Earlier, Noem had demanded Harvard submit records of any violent or illegal activity by foreign students by April 30 or immediately lose [the Student and Exchange Visitor Program] certification under the federal government's student visa program.
"Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law," Noem added.
The White House is cracking down on US universities on several fronts, justified as a reaction to what the administration says is uncontrolled anti-Semitism and a need to reverse diversity programs aimed at addressing historical oppression of minorities.
It has also moved to revoke visas and deport foreign students involved in protests against the war in Gaza, accusing them of supporting Palestinian militant group Hamas, news agency AFP reported.
At Harvard, the government has threatened to put $9 billion of funding under review, then went on to freeze a first tranche of $2.2 billion of grants and $60 million of official contracts.
It has also targeted a Harvard Medical School researcher for deportation.
The loss of foreign nationals — more than a quarter of its student body — could prove costly to Harvard, which charges tens of thousands of dollars a year in tuition.
Harvard is the wealthiest US university with an endowment valued at $53.2 billion in 2024.
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