The Voice News :After cutting federal funding for Harvard University, U.S. President Donald Trump has now blocked the institution from admitting new foreign students. On Thursday (May 22), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that Harvard would not be allowed to enroll new international students. The announcement, reported by Reuters, further stated that the university’s foreign student exchange program for the 2025–26 academic year has been cancelled.
According to the statement, not only will Harvard be prohibited from admitting new international students, but those already enrolled must transfer to other institutions immediately or risk losing their legal status.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem accused Harvard of inciting hatred and anti-Semitism and alleged that the university maintains ties with the Chinese Communist Party.
Harvard has called the Trump administration’s actions illegal and described them as political retaliation. The university warned that this decision threatens the future of thousands of students.
Observers see this move as a significant step in the Trump administration’s campaign against Harvard. Officials claim the action was taken after the university refused to provide certain information about its foreign students.
According to Harvard, approximately 7,000 international students were enrolled last year, making up 27.2% of its total student body.
Democratic lawmakers in Congress have strongly criticized the decision. Representative Jamie Raskin stated that the move was retaliation against Harvard for opposing previous Trump orders and accused the administration of interfering with the university’s autonomy and academic freedom.
Since taking office in January, Trump has significantly reduced federal funding to Harvard, alleging the institution suffers from deep-rooted discrimination. So far, nearly $3 billion in funding has been cut. Harvard has challenged the decision in court.