WEBDESK: The US Department of Homeland Security have said that Harvard University will lose its ability to enroll foreign students if they fail to meet the demands set forth by the Trump administration. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also announced on Wednesday the termination of two DHS grants totalling more than $2.7 million to Harvard.
The Department of Homeland Security has asked Harvard University to submit records on international students allegedly linked to “illegal and violent” protests. Officials have given the university a deadline of April 30 to respond. If Harvard fails to cooperate, it may lose its privilege to accept foreign students.
“And if Harvard University cannot verify it is in full compliance with its reporting requirements, the university will lose the privilege of enrolling foreign students,” Noem said in a statement.
A Harvard University spokesperson said the university was aware of Noem’s letter “regarding grant cancellations and scrutiny of foreign student visas.”
The spokesperson said the university stood by its statement earlier in the week to “not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights” while saying it will comply with the law. visa programs.
This move is part of a wider federal response to growing protests on university campuses, especially those supporting Palestine. The Trump administration claims these demonstrations are linked to anti-American views and is taking a strong stand against them.
Additionally, $2.3 billion in funding has been frozen, and the government is reviewing Harvard University’s access to $9 billion in contracts and grants. There is also talk of revoking the university’s tax-exempt status.
Civil rights groups and human rights advocates have voiced concern over the government’s actions. They fear it could silence students, threaten academic freedom, and increase Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment in the country.
The Trump administration has frozen or cancelled some funding for universities like Columbia, Princeton, Brown, Cornell and Northwestern as well.
It has also threatened to withhold funding over culture war issues such as DEI programs and transgender policies.
