President Trump barred most international students from entering the United States to study at Harvard University late Wednesday — escalating the Trump administration’s battle with the Ivy League school.
In a proclamation, Mr. Trump suspended the entry of foreign students or exchange visitors planning to go to Harvard, unless his administration determines somebody’s entry “would be in the national interest.” The order also directs Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider whether student visa holders who are already in the U.S. “should have their visas revoked.”
The order claimed Harvard “is no longer a trustworthy steward of international student and exchange visitor programs,” accusing the school of failing to report students’ disciplinary records to the federal government and criticizing it for ties to researchers based in China.
CBS News has reached out to Harvard for comment.
The Trump administration has tried repeatedly to restrict Harvard’s ability to enroll international students — a serious threat for a school where more than one in four students hail from foreign countries.
Last month, the Department of Homeland Security tried to take away Harvard’s certification in the federal government’s student visa database. A judge halted that policy after Harvard sued, with the school arguing the order was unconstitutional and would have an “immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders.”
And last week, the State Department ordered embassies and consulates to conduct “additional vetting” of anybody who wants to travel to Harvard — including current and prospective students, faculty, guest speakers and even tourists — according to an email obtained by CBS News.
The Trump administration has feuded with Harvard for months, seeking to cut off billions in federal funding. The funding cutoffs came after the school rejected the government’s demands to change its disciplinary practices, end diversity, equity and inclusion programs and commission an external audit of some academic departments.
The government has sharply criticized Harvard’s handling of pro-Palestinian protests and alleged the school has failed to deal with antisemitism on campus. But Harvard argues it is being punished for First Amendment-protected speech.
The administration has cracked down on international students beyond Harvard. It halted new student visa interviews last week in preparation for “expanded social media vetting,” and the State Department’s email directing extra vetting for travelers to Harvard framed the policy as a “pilot” for other visa applicants.
Meanwhile, thousands of foreign students who are already present in the U.S. have faced the termination of their student visa status, sometimes after appearing to get on the government’s radar due to minor legal issues — though a judge blocked that policy.
And some international students with links to pro-Palestinian activism have been detained under a rarely used law allowing visas to be revoked if someone’s presence in the U.S. poses “adverse foreign policy consequences.” Judges ordered the release of two students on bond — Columbia University’s Mohsen Mahdawi and Tufts University’s Rumeysa Ozturk — but another Columbia activist, Mahmoud Khalil, remains detained.
Joe Walsh is a senior editor for digital politics at CBS News. Joe previously covered breaking news for Forbes and local news in Boston.
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