“Entry of Harvard Students Suspended for 6 Months” – President Donald Trump
President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a presidential proclamation suspending entry into the United States for foreign nationals intending to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University for a period of six months. The decision comes amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Harvard.
The proclamation cites national security concerns as the basis for barring foreign students from entering the U.S. to study at Harvard. In response, Harvard released a statement saying:
“This move is a direct violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights and an illegal act of government retaliation.”
Harvard further emphasized:
“We are fully committed to protecting our international students.”
The ban could be extended beyond six months in the future.
Trump’s proclamation also instructs the U.S. State Department to revoke student and exchange visas for current international students at Harvard who fall under the defined conditions of the order.
The directive comes shortly after a federal judge in Boston indicated that they were considering blocking the administration from halting international admissions to Harvard. Harvard has argued that the administration is launching multi-faceted attacks on the university in retaliation for refusing political interference in its governance and academic curriculum.
On May 22, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the immediate termination of Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which is required to admit foreign students.
That decision was temporarily halted by U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, who has since stated she is likely to impose a long-term preliminary injunction to protect Harvard’s international students. The day before the court hearing, the administration announced it would pursue a lengthy administrative process to challenge Harvard’s certification.
According to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters, all U.S. embassies were instructed the day after the hearing to conduct additional vetting of visa applicants intending to study at Harvard.
Trump’s two-page proclamation alleges that Harvard has "troubling ties with foreign powers," a "history of extremism," and "broad associations with foreign adversaries"—particularly China.
The FBI has long warned that foreign adversaries exploit the openness of U.S. higher education to commit intellectual property theft, research exploitation, and spread disinformation.
The proclamation also claims that in recent years, criminal activity has increased at Harvard, and that the university has failed to properly discipline violations of conduct on campus. Furthermore, it accuses Harvard of not providing adequate information to the Department of Homeland Security regarding criminal or dangerous behavior by international students.
