US President Donald Trump has recently banned Harvard University in Massachusetts from enrolling international students.
In an official statement by the Homeland Security Department (DHS), the organisation’s secretary, Kristi Noem, ordered DHS to terminate Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. So, what does this mean for the foreign students at Harvard University?
The statement said that the existing foreign students MUST transfer elsewhere or lose their legal status in the country.
“Anti-American, Chinese Communist Party, pro-terrorist agitators”
In the statement issued on May 22, Kristi said that Harvard University has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students. According to her, many of the agitators are foreign students.
“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.”
“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments.”
Kristi added that Harvard University has lost its SEVP certification due to the university management’s refusal to do the right thing by following the law. On April 16, DHS requested that Harvard provide information about the criminality and misconduct of foreign students on its campus. Harvard did not comply, despite being warned about the termination of the SEVP certification.
Harvard University responds
According to the data, Harvard University has a total of 6,800 international students enrolled in the 2024/2025 academic year, accounting for over a quarter of the total students.
It didn’t take long for Harvard University to respond to the matter, with a spokesman dubbing the matter “unlawful” and stating that it could cause serious damage to the university.
Harvard University mentioned that international students come from more than 140 countries around the world and make great contributions to schools and society, and it vows to defend the right to recruit international students.
Since being in office, Trump has introduced many drastic changes. What do you think of the move from the Trump administration this time?
