The Trump administration has banned Harvard University from enrolling international students, escalating United States President Donald Trump’s plight against the prestigious university.
In a letter, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Harvard’s failure to meet the White House’s previous demands led to international students' privileges being revoked.
“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” she said.
“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enrol foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multi-billion-dollar endowments.
“They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.”
Noem also accused the university of being “hostile to Jewish students”, promoting “pro-Hamas sympathies” and employing “racist” diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Disputes between the White House and Harvard started after the Trump administration froze US$2.7 billion in funds in April, which Harvard did not concede to.
According to Noem, the university had failed to provide information about foreign students' criminality and misconduct.
In response to the funding cut, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the White House, calling the Trump administration’s actions “flatly unlawful” and denying claims that Harvard is anti-Semitic.
Around a quarter of the university's population is comprised of international students, meaning this could be a major blow to its finances.
