Trump defends block on overseas college students at Harvard

U.S. President Donald Trump defended on Sunday (May 25, 2025) his administration’s transfer to dam overseas college students at Harvard after a decide suspended the motion, branded by the highest college as illegal.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump defended on Sunday (May 25, 2025) his administration’s move to block foreign students at Harvard after a decide suspended the motion, branded by the highest college as illegal.

“Why is not Harvard saying that nearly 31% of their college students are from FOREIGN LANDS, and but these nations, some by no means pleasant to the United States, pay NOTHING towards their scholar’s training, nor do they ever intend to,” Mr. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

“We need to know who these overseas college students are, an inexpensive request since we give Harvard BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, however Harvard is not precisely forthcoming.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday (May 21, 2025) revoked Harvard’s capability to enroll overseas nationals, throwing the way forward for hundreds of scholars and the profitable earnings stream they supply into doubt.

She had threatened final month to dam worldwide college students on the faculty until it turned over data on visa holders’ “unlawful and violent actions.”

But a decide rapidly suspended the transfer after the college sued to “cease the federal government’s arbitrary, capricious, illegal, and unconstitutional motion.”

The White House is cracking down on U.S. universities on a number of fronts, justified as a response to what the administration says is uncontrolled anti-Semitism and a must reverse variety packages geared toward addressing historic oppression of minorities.

It has additionally moved to revoke visas and deport overseas college students concerned in protests in opposition to the conflict in Gaza, accusing them of supporting Palestinian militant group Hamas.

At Harvard, the federal government has threatened to place $9 billion of funding below assessment, then went on to freeze a primary tranche of $2.2 billion of grants and $60 million of official contracts. It has additionally focused a Harvard Medical School researcher for deportation.

The lack of overseas nationals — greater than 1 / 4 of its scholar physique — may show pricey to Harvard, which costs tens of hundreds of {dollars} a yr in tuition.

Harvard is the wealthiest U.S. college with an endowment valued at $53.2 billion in 2024.