The US President Donald Trump has suspended the entry of foreign students wishing to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University for six months.
The corresponding document was published on the White House website.
This order also obliges the Secretary of State to consider revoking the valid visas of students currently enrolled at the university.
After the six-month period expires, the visa suspension decree may be extended.
In the proclamation, Trump accused Harvard of having extensive ties to foreign countries, including "enemies of the United States" — primarily China.
He stated that Harvard allegedly repeatedly hosted and trained members of the Chinese Communist Partyʼs paramilitary organization, and that university researchers collaborated with people based in China on research that could contribute to the modernization of the Chinese military.
Trump also accused Harvard of "ignoring the civil rights of its students and faculty" and discriminating against "non-priority" races during admissions.
Harvard called the order “another illegal retaliatory step taken by the administration that violates Harvard’s rights guaranteed by the First Amendment”, and promised to continue to protect its international students.
Whatʼs going on between Trump and Harvard?
In March, the US government said it would review $9 billion in funding for Harvard over alleged anti-Semitism, which escalated after student protests against Palestinian rights. A Department of Education task force accused the university of abusing its position and “believing that federal funding does not obligate them to comply with civil rights laws”.
The university was required to limit the influence of activists, create an independent commission to review departments, hire faculty and students solely on merit, without regard to race, color, or nationality, and report violations by international students.
Harvard University has rejected the Trump administrationʼs demands and lost $2.2 billion in funding as a result. The university filed a lawsuit in court. In it, it said it was committed to combating anti-Semitism and had taken steps to make its campus safe and welcoming for Jewish and Israeli students. It said the administrationʼs actions threatened academic freedom.
In May, the Trump administration canceled another $450 million in grant funding for Harvard University. The university responded by expanding its previous lawsuit. On May 22, the Trump administration stripped Harvard of its right to enroll international students. But the next day, a court blocked the decision.
- In November 2023, more than 1 600 Jewish alumni stopped donating to Harvard University due to anti-Semitism at rallies in support of Palestine.
- In January 2024, Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned amid allegations of plagiarism and a lackluster response to anti-Semitism at the institution. That same month, several Jewish students filed a lawsuit against the institution, accusing it of tolerating harassment, assault, and intimidation of Jewish students.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.