Foreign students ban? Trump vs Harvard keeps on simmering

new york: The Donald Trump administration has threatened to revoke Harvard University’s eligibility to enrol international students if it doesn’t submit detailed records of its foreign student’s “illegal and violent activities”.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday wrote a “scathing letter” demanding detailed records on Harvard’s foreign student visa holders’ illegal and violent activities by April 30, or face immediate loss of Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) certification.

“Harvard bending the knee to antisemitism — driven by its spineless leadership — fuels a cesspool of extremist riots and threatens our national security. With anti-American, pro-Hamas ideology poisoning its campus and classrooms, Harvard’s position as a top institution of higher learning is a distant memory. America demands more from universities entrusted with taxpayer dollars,” Noem said.

DHS said since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Harvard’s foreign visa-holding rioters and faculty have spewed antisemitic hate.

“With a $53.2 billion endowment, Harvard can fund its own chaos — DHS won’t. And if Harvard cannot verify it is in full compliance with its reporting requirements, it will lose the privilege of enrolling foreign students,” it said.