How Trump has targeted Harvard's international students - and what the latest court ruling means
Live Events
President Donald Trump and his administration have tried several tactics to block Harvard University 's enrollment of international students, part of the White House 's effort to secure policy changes at the private, Ivy League college.Targeting foreign students has become the administration's cornerstone effort to crack down on the nation's oldest and wealthiest college. The block on international enrollment, which accounts for a quarter of Harvard's students and much of its global allure, strikes at the core of Harvard's identity. Courts have stopped some of the government's actions, at least for now - but not all.In the latest court order, a federal judge on Friday put one of those efforts on hold until a lawsuit is resolved. But the fate of Harvard's international students - and its broader standoff with the Trump administration - remain in limbo.Here are all the ways the Trump administration has moved to block Harvard's foreign enrollment - and where each effort stands.(Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates)Homeland Security tries to revoke Harvard's certification to host foreign students In May, the Trump administration tried to ban foreign students at Harvard, citing the Department of Homeland Security's authority to oversee which colleges are part of the Student Exchange and Visitor Program . The program allows colleges to issue documents that foreign students need to study in the United States. Harvard filed a lawsuit, arguing the administration violated the government's own regulations for withdrawing a school's certification.Within hours, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston put the administration's ban on hold temporarily - an order that had an expiration date. On Friday, she issued a preliminary injunction, blocking Homeland Security's move until the case is decided. That could take months or longer.The government can and does remove colleges from the Student Exchange and Visitor Program, making them ineligible to host foreign students on their campus. However, it's usually for administrative reasons outlined in law, such as failing to maintain accreditation, lacking proper facilities for classes, failing to employ qualified professional personnel - even failing to "operate as a bona fide institution of learning." Other colleges are removed when they close.Notably, Burroughs' order Friday said the federal government still has authority to review Harvard's ability to host international students through normal processes outlined in law. After Burroughs' emergency block in May, DHS issued a more typical "Notice of Intent to Withdraw" Harvard's participation in the international student visa program."Today's order does not affect the DHS's ongoing administrative review," Harvard said Friday in a message to its international students. "Harvard is fully committed to compliance with the applicable F-1 (student visa) regulations and strongly opposes any effort to withdraw the University's certification."Trump has sought to ban U.S. entry for incoming Harvard students Earlier this month, Trump himself moved to block entry to the United States for incoming Harvard students, issuing a proclamation that invoked a different legal authority.Harvard filed a court challenge attacking Trump's legal justification for the action - a federal law allowing him to block a "class of aliens" deemed detrimental to the nation's interests. Targeting only those who are coming to the U.S. to study at Harvard doesn't qualify as a "class of aliens," Harvard said in its filing.Harvard's lawyers asked the court to block the action. Burroughs agreed to pause the entry ban temporarily, without giving an expiration date. She has not yet ruled on Harvard's request for another preliminary injunction, which would pause the ban until the court case is decided. "We expect the judge to issue a more enduring decision in the coming days," Harvard told international students Friday.At the center of Trump's pressure campaign against Harvard are his assertions that the school has tolerated anti-Jewish harassment, especially during pro-Palestinian protests. In seeking to keep Harvard students from coming to the U.S., he said Harvard is not a suitable destination. Harvard President Alan Garber has said the university has made changes to combat antisemitism and will not submit to the administration's demands for further changes.The administration has stepped up scrutiny of Harvard scholars' and students' visas In late May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed U.S. embassies and consulates to start reviewing social media accounts of visa applicants who plan to attend, work at or visit Harvard University for any signs of antisemitism.On Wednesday, the State Department said it was launching new vetting of social media accounts for foreigners applying for student visas, and not just those seeking to attend Harvard. Consular officers will be on the lookout for posts and messages that could be deemed hostile to the United States, its government, culture, institutions or founding principles, the department said, telling visa applicants to set their social media accounts to "public."In reopening the visa process, the State Department also told consulates to prioritize students hoping to enroll at colleges where foreigners make up less than 15% of the student body, a U.S. official familiar with the matter said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to detail information that has not been made public.Foreign students make up more than 15% of the total student body at almost 200 U.S. universities - including Harvard and the other Ivy League schools, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal education data from 2023. Most are private universities, including all eight Ivy League schools.Some Harvard students are also caught up in the government's recent ban against travel to the U.S. by citizens of 12 nations, mostly in Africa and the Middle East. The Trump administration last weekend called for 36 additional countries to commit to improving vetting of travelers or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States.International students make up half the students at some Harvard programs Harvard sponsors more than 7,000 people on a combination of F-1 and J-1 visas, which are issued to students and to foreigners visiting the U.S. on exchange programs such as fellowships. Across all the schools that make up the university, about 26% of the student body is from outside the U.S.But some schools and programs, by nature of their subject matter, have significantly more international students. At the Harvard Kennedy School, which covers public policy and public administration, 49% of students are on F-1 visas. In the business school, one-third of students come from abroad. And within the law school, 94% of the students in the master's program in comparative law are international students.The administration has imposed a range of sanctions on Harvard since it rejected the government's demands for policy reforms related to campus protests, admissions, hiring and more. Conservatives say the demands are merited, decrying Harvard as a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism. Harvard says the administration is illegally retaliating against the university.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
31 minutes ago
- India Today
How Trump targeted Harvard's foreign students and what court says now
Harvard University, known globally for its academic excellence and diverse student body, has found itself at the center of a political storm. Former U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration have repeatedly tried to restrict the university's ability to host international students — a move that directly challenges Harvard's global identity. Now, recent court rulings have provided temporary relief, but the situation remains SECURITY 'S ATTEMPT TO CUT HARVARD INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROGRAMMEOne of the major actions came from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which tried to revoke Harvard's certification to host international students under the Student Exchange and Visitor Program. This program allows institutions to issue key visa documents (like the F-1 student visa), and without it, Harvard wouldn't be able to enroll students from responded by suing the government, claiming that DHS didn't follow proper procedures. In May, a federal judge temporarily blocked DHS's action. Then, in a more recent ruling, the judge issued a preliminary injunction, halting the move until the legal case is fully resolved — which could take months or longer. While the ruling is a win for Harvard, the judge noted that DHS still has the right to evaluate Harvard's status through regular procedures. For now, the university remains certified, but the review ENTRY BAN FOR INCOMING HARVARD STUDENTSadvertisementIn a separate action, Trump issued a presidential proclamation to stop new international students from entering the U.S. if they planned to attend Harvard. The administration argued that allowing these students in was not in the country's quickly challenged this in court, arguing that targeting students bound for one specific school didn't meet the legal standard of banning a "class of aliens." The same judge stepped in again to pause this entry ban — with no end date set yet. Harvard is now waiting for the judge to make a longer-term decision on this linked his efforts to concerns about antisemitism on Harvard's campus, especially during pro-Palestinian protests. But Harvard's leadership has insisted they're already working to address these issues and won't bow to political VISA SCRUTINY AND DISCRIMINATION CONCERNSIn another move, the Trump administration ordered US embassies and consulates to inspect the social media accounts of anyone applying for a visa to study or work at Harvard. The idea was to screen for content that could be seen as anti-American or after, the State Department expanded this to include all student visa applicants across the country, not just those going to Harvard. Visa applicants were told to make their social media accounts public, raising concerns about privacy and were also told to give priority to schools where international students make up less than 15% of the student body. Since Harvard and other Ivy League schools have higher percentages of foreign students, this effectively places them at a IT MATTERS?International students are a major part of Harvard's community — making up about 26% of the total student population. In certain programs, like public policy, business, and law, that number is even say the Trump administration's actions are part of a broader effort to pressure elite universities into changing campus policies related to protests, admissions, and academic hiring. Supporters argue that the government is simply holding institutions accountable. Either way, Harvard believes it's being unfairly targeted, and the courts are now playing a key role in deciding what comes next.(With AP inputs)Tune InMust Watch
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Spy chief flip-flop? After Trump's 2nd rebuke over Iran intel, Tulsi Gabbard shifts tone
File photo of Tulsi Gabbard and US President Donald Trump A rare and public fracture has emerged within the highest levels of the US national security establishment, as director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Saturday revised her stance on Iran's nuclear ambitions, hours after being directly contradicted by President Donald Trump. In a striking turn, Gabbard posted on X that her earlier testimony to Congress, where she said that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon, had been taken "out of context." She acknowledged that US intelligence now believes Iran could have a nuclear weapon "within weeks to months" if it decides to finalise assembly. "The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division," Gabbard wrote. "America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalise the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree." Her statement came after a sharp rebuke from President Trump, who told reporters Friday, "She is wrong," in response to her previous assertion that Iran is not actively building a nuclear weapon. The president had earlier dismissed her analysis outright, saying, "I don't care what she says," during a press interaction earlier in the week. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The disagreement comes at a particularly sensitive moment, as the White House weighs its strategic posture in the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict. Trump's public alignment with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long warned of Iran's nuclear capabilities, further highlights the rift within the administration. Despite the public back-and-forth, officials within the administration have attempted to downplay the tension. They emphasised that uranium enrichment by Iran does bring it closer to a weapons threshold, even if the final steps toward weaponisation have not been confirmed. A source with access to US intelligence reports told Reuters that the intelligence community's assessment has not undergone a fundamental change. According to the source, spy agencies still believe that Iran would need up to three years to develop a deliverable nuclear warhead capable of striking a target.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Why Harvard is now willing to negotiate with Trump after months of legal and financial warfare
Why Harvard is negotiating with Trump after months of US legal and funding clashes After months of fierce legal battles and deep financial strain, Harvard University has reopened negotiations with the Trump administration, signaling a potential turning point in one of the most high-profile confrontations between a US president and an academic institution. The renewed talks mark a sharp departure from Harvard's earlier posture, when it publicly resisted what it described as overreach and political interference by the federal government. The discussions resumed during a recent meeting at the White House, where Harvard representatives presented a PowerPoint outlining steps the university has taken to address concerns around antisemitism, viewpoint diversity, and admissions practices. In return, the White House issued a letter proposing specific actions Harvard must undertake for a resolution, as reported by the New York Times. Though the university has yet to respond formally, sources cited by the New York Times described the White House's tone as serious and the talks as active. A shift driven by mounting financial and legal pressure Harvard's decision to return to the negotiating table appears to be motivated by the growing toll of its standoff with the administration. The Trump government has already stripped billions in federal research funding from the university and launched a series of legal actions, including efforts to bar international students, who make up about a quarter of Harvard's student body. It also initiated an investigation under the False Claims Act and threatened the school's tax-exempt status, as detailed by the New York Times. Harvard officials, while publicly defiant, have been privately reassessing the university's future under continued federal pressure. According to the New York Times, university leaders now believe that prolonged conflict could make Harvard "far smaller and less ambitious." Despite having a $53 billion endowment, much of that capital is restricted, making the institution more financially vulnerable than it appears. Talks follow broader discontent and political signaling The university reportedly sought to reengage after Secretary of Education Linda McMahon raised the prospect of negotiations and after other university leaders encouraged Harvard to represent academia in dialogue with Washington. The Trump administration, according to the New York Times, hopes that a deal with Harvard could become a model for similar arrangements with other elite institutions. While the White House has targeted other universities, the fight with Harvard has been the most contentious. At one point, the administration demanded sweeping changes, including merit-based hiring and admissions, curbs on faculty influence, external reviews of diversity-related departments, and reporting obligations through 2028. Trump signals optimism while scrutiny looms President Trump hinted at an impending breakthrough on Truth Social, calling the prospective deal "mindbogglingly historic," and adding it would be "very good for our Country," as quoted by the New York Times. However, sources cautioned that a deal remains unlikely within the next week. As talks progress, both sides face scrutiny. Students, faculty, and alumni are expected to examine any agreement closely. "It would be a tragedy if Harvard resolved this in a way that gave support and encouragement to the idea of extralegal extortion," said former Harvard president Lawrence H. Summers, as quoted by the New York Times . Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
