Trump bans Harvard from enrolling international students amid escalating feud
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused the university of "fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus"
The Trump administration has blocked Harvard University from enrolling international students, accusing the Ivy League school of allowing “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” to assault Jewish students on campus.
The Department of Homeland Security announced the move on Thursday, saying thousands of current foreign students must transfer to other schools or leave the US.
“This means Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,” the agency said in a statement.
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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused the university of "fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus."
She said Harvard had failed to comply "with simple reporting requirements" after she demanded the university hand over information about foreign students that might implicate them in violence or protests.
Harvard called the action unlawful.
“This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” the university said.
Under the ban, Harvard cannot host international students for the upcoming 2025-26 school year.
Noem said Harvard can regain its ability to host foreign students if it produces records on foreign students within the next three days.
Her updated request demands all records, including audio or video footage, of foreign students participating in protests or dangerous activity on campus.
More than a quarter of Harvard's student body are international students from more than 100 countries.
The ban comes as tensions soar between the US government and the Ivy league school.
Harvard has defied the Trump administration's demands to limit pro-Palestinian protests and end diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
The US government has responded by cutting $2.6 billion in federal grants at Harvard.
