President Donald Trump has imposed a six-month ban on foreign students attending Harvard University. The measure, enacted in a presidential proclamation on Wednesday, was justified as a matter of national security. According to Trump, allowing international students at Harvard is against US interests.
Harvard referred to the order as “retaliatory” and vowed to safeguard its international students, according to Reuters. This new directive is a further escalation in a legal dispute with Trump’s administration. The struggle began in April when Harvard refused to meet the White House demands.
This suspension comes after a judge blocked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from implementing a similar ban last week. Trump had accused Harvard of maintaining significant ties with foreign countries and violating the civil rights of its students and faculty.
Trump’s proclamation also suspends visas for international students pursuing exchange programs and instructs the secretary of state to consider revoking current student visas. Moreover, the six-month suspension may be extended.
The White House claims that Harvard did not provide the DHS with adequate information about foreign students’ illicit or hazardous activities and only reported liability in three cases.
Harvard responded to the proclamation, calling it “yet another illegitimate retaliatory step by the administration,” an infringement of the university’s rights under the First Amendment. Harvard has been locked in a legal battle with Trump’s administration over accusations of failing to address anti-semitism on campus and subsequent freezing of billions of federal funds.
In May, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem revoked the certification required by Harvard to enroll international students, an action that was quickly blocked by a judge.
Last week, another federal judge supported the decision allowing international students to continue their studies at Harvard while the legal tussle continues. However, Trump’s recent proclamation again puts the future of thousands of international students in uncertainty. As of next school year, Harvard plans to enroll nearly 7,000 foreign students, making up 27% of its total student body.
The authority of international students, particularly those from China, is under increasing scrutiny due to the Trump administration’s policies against alleged weak handling of anti-semitism amidst the protests global against the war in Gaza.
Earlier this Wednesday, the White House also threatened to revoke Columbia University’s accreditation, accusing it of disregarding the civil rights of its Jewish students.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr4zpnl2x3eo
