In a sweeping move targeting one of the nation’s most prestigious universities, President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a ban on visas for international students set to begin studies at Harvard University, citing national security concerns.
In an official statement issued late Wednesday, Trump said it was “necessary to restrict the entry of foreign nationals who seek to enter the United States solely or principally to participate in a course of study at Harvard University or in an exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard University.”
The decision, effective immediately, marks a sharp escalation in the Trump administration’s ongoing conflict with academia — and Harvard in particular. The Ivy League institution has frequently clashed with the White House, pushing back against demands for greater federal oversight of its admissions policies, curricula, and research programs.
According to the proclamation, foreign nationals seeking to enter the U.S. to begin studies at Harvard under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program will be barred from entry. In addition, international students already enrolled at Harvard face a review of their visa status, with the potential for revocation.
The administration justified the move on national security grounds, alleging that Harvard’s refusal to provide “sufficient information” about misconduct involving foreign students posed an “unacceptable risk” to the country.
“In my judgment, it presents an unacceptable risk to our Nation’s security for an academic institution to refuse to provide sufficient information, when asked, about known instances of misconduct and criminality committed by its foreign students,” Trump stated.
The president further accused Harvard and its affiliated organizations of undermining opportunities for American students through what he described as “excessive foreign student enrollment,” and suggested the university’s practices discriminated against “non-preferred races, national origins, shared ancestries, or religions.”
The order appears to apply exclusively to Harvard, though it comes amid a broader crackdown on international students. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently vowed to “aggressively” revoke student visas for individuals from China, intensifying concerns within higher education circles.
Just last week, a federal judge extended a temporary injunction blocking the administration’s earlier attempt to bar Harvard from enrolling international students — a legal battle likely to intensify following Wednesday’s announcement.
