Trump administration says Harvard may lose ability to enroll foreign students
The Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the termination of two grants worth more than $2.7 million previously awarded to Harvard University, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
She stated that Harvard is no longer fit to receive taxpayer funds and criticized its leadership.
In a letter to the university, Secretary Noem demanded a full report on foreign student visa holders involved in “illegal and violent activities.” The deadline for Harvard to respond is April 30, 2025. Failure to do so could lead to the university losing its certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
“Harvard bending the knee to antisemitism — driven by its spineless leadership — fuels a cesspool of extremist riots and threatens our national security,” said Secretary Noem. “With anti-American, pro-Hamas ideology poisoning its campus and classrooms, Harvard’s position as a top institution of higher learning is a distant memory. America demands more from universities entrusted with taxpayer dollars.”
The two canceled grants included $800,303 for a violence prevention study that labeled conservatives as “far-right dissidents” and $1,934,902 for a program supporting Harvard’s public health messaging through the DHS Blue Campaign.
Both projects, according to the Department, conflict with American values and national security.
This move follows a decision by President Donald J. Trump to freeze $2.2 billion in federal funds to Harvard and propose ending its tax-exempt status due to what he called “radical ideology.”
“Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Harvard’s foreign visa-holding rioters and faculty have spewed antisemitic hate, targeting Jewish students. With a $53.2 billion endowment, Harvard can fund its own chaos—DHS won’t. And if Harvard cannot verify it is in full compliance with its reporting requirements, the university will lose the privilege of enrolling foreign students,” the statement concludes.
Earlier in March, it was reported that U.S. President Donald J. Trump had signed an order to scale back the federally funded news organization Voice of America (VOA), accusing it of being “anti-Trump” and “radical.”
