Trump Issues Proclamation Halting Harvard Student Visas

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump issued a directive suspending the entry of foreign nationals wishing to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University, according to the White House. This move comes amid a growing conflict between the Trump administration and the prestigious Ivy League school.

The directive also instructs the State Department to “consider revoking” the academic or exchange visas of any current Harvard students who fall under the criteria specified in the proclamation.

Last month, the State Department ordered its embassies and consulates around the world to implement additional scrutiny of visa applicants aiming to travel to Harvard for any purpose, as detailed in an internal communication seen by Reuters.

Harvard contends that the Trump administration is retaliating against the institution for not yielding to its demands regarding the governance, curriculum, and political views of its faculty and students.

The two-page proclamation stated that Harvard has a “notable history of troubling foreign connections and radical viewpoints.”

The FBI has repeatedly cautioned that foreign adversaries exploit easy access to U.S. higher education to steal sensitive information, exploit research and development, and propagate misinformation, as noted in the proclamation.

The proclamation claimed that there has been a “significant increase in crime” at Harvard in recent years, while the university allegedly failed to address certain types of misconduct among its community.

Furthermore, it accused Harvard of not adequately informing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about foreign students engaged in “illegal or dangerous activities.”

The proclamation criticized Harvard for its “extensive dealings with foreign adversaries,” citing that the institution received over $150 million from China alone. It further claimed that several individuals involved in antisemitic incidents on campus were identified as foreign students.

These new restrictions on student visas for Harvard represent another facet of the Trump administration’s campaign against the U.S.’s oldest and wealthiest university.

This action follows previous attempts to halt billions in grants and funding, challenge the university’s tax-exempt status, and launch probes into whether Harvard discriminated against white, Asian, male, or heterosexual employees and job applicants.

Trump has accused leading U.S. universities of fostering anti-American sentiment. Just last month, his administration attempted to revoke Harvard’s ability to accept foreign students, although this action was eventually blocked by a federal judge.