By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
President Donald Trump has issued a proclamation suspending international students and exchange participants from entering the US to attend Harvard University for six months.
He stated national security concerns. This decision comes amid an ongoing power struggle between Trump and the prestigious Ivy League school. The proclamation stops foreign nationals from studying or participating in exchange programs at Harvard. Trump claimed the university has “demonstrated a history of concerning foreign ties and radicalism” and has “extensive entanglements with foreign adversaries,” including China.
The suspension can be extended beyond the initial six months. The US State Department is directed to consider revoking academic or exchange visas of current Harvard students who meet specific criteria. Harvard argues that the administration is retaliating against it for refusing to comply with demands to control the school’s governance, curriculum, and ideology. A federal judge had planned to issue an injunction blocking the administration from revoking Harvard’s ability to enroll international students, who comprise about a quarter of its student body.
Harvard responded, calling Trump’s proclamation “yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights.” The university reassured its international students, saying, “Harvard will continue to protect its international students.”
