United States President Donald Trump on Sunday stood by his administration’s controversial decision to bar Harvard University from admitting foreign students, despite a federal judge’s temporary injunction against the move.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump criticised Harvard for enrolling nearly 31 percent international students without apparent financial support from their home countries. “We want to know who those foreign students are, a reasonable request since we give Harvard billions of dollars, but Harvard isn’t exactly forthcoming,” he said.
The dispute began last week when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked Harvard’s authority to admit foreign nationals, citing concerns over student visa holders allegedly involved in “illegal and violent activities.” Noem had warned Harvard to disclose information or face consequences.
In response, Harvard filed a lawsuit accusing the government of acting in an “arbitrary, capricious, unlawful, and unconstitutional” manner. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, allowing Harvard to continue enrolling international students for now.
This action is part of a wider Trump administration campaign targeting universities over issues including anti-Semitism and diversity programmes. The administration has also revoked visas and deported foreign students linked to pro-Palestinian protests, alleging connections to Hamas.
Last month, the administration froze $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard and threatened to cut off research grants entirely earlier this month, escalating tensions between the government and the Ivy League institution.
