President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday, June 4, that aims to block foreign students from enrolling at Harvard University. The order, titled “Enhancing National Security by Addressing Risks at Harvard University,” is expected to face legal challenges.
It marks an escalation in the ongoing conflict between Harvard and the Trump administration over federal efforts to restrict international student enrollment.
Trump’s accusations
In the proclamation, Trump claimed that Harvard failed to fully disclose information about criminal activity among foreign students. He said the university submitted records for only three individuals and omitted details about “violent activity” and “threats to other students or university personnel.”
Harvard maintained it complied with requests to provide misconduct records, but the administration called the response insufficient.
Trump also accused the university of discriminatory admissions practices. He referenced the Supreme Court’s decision overturning affirmative action, which he said “bears Harvard’s name.” He alleged the school continues to prioritize foreign applicants — including individuals from nations that “seek the destruction of the United States” — over “hardworking Americans.”
“Considering these facts, I have determined that it is necessary to restrict the entry of foreign nationals who seek to enter the United States solely or principally to participate in a course study at Harvard University or in an exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard University,” Trump said in the order.
What happens next?
The order directs administration officials to determine whether current foreign students at Harvard should have their visas suspended.
The restrictions will remain in place for at least 90 days. During that time, cabinet members must submit a recommendation on whether the ban should be extended.
The suspension applies only to Harvard University and does not affect other institutions participating in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
Trump said students whose entry is deemed “in the national interest” will be exempt. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem will oversee those determinations.
Trump cited a federal law that gives the president the power to block foreign nationals whose entry into the United States is “detrimental to the United States,” as well as several other statutes that ban foreign citizens linked to terrorist organizations from entering the U.S.
Attorney General Pam Bondi responded to Trump’s executive order on social media Wednesday. She wrote on X that “admission to the United States to study at an ‘elite’ American university is a privilege, not a right.”
Harvard’s response
Harvard responded to the executive order in an email to The New York Times.
“This is yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights,” spokesperson Jason Newton wrote. “Harvard will continue to protect its international students.”
Legal experts’ take
Legal experts raised doubts about the executive order’s legality.
“The president, for whatever reason, is clearly on a vendetta against Harvard for reasons having nothing to do with national security,” David Super, a legal expert at Georgetown University, said.
He told the Times that ”given past statements by (Trump) and members of his administration of hostility toward Harvard’s exercise of its First Amendment rights, I doubt the courts will take the allegations in this order very seriously.”
A larger battle
Trump’s latest move against Harvard’s international student population — a major component of its enrollment — comes amid a broader conflict between the administration and the renowned university.
Earlier this year, Noem attempted to revoke Harvard’s certification for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. That effort is currently tied up in court.
Even while the order remains on hold, Harvard’s director of immigration services said in a recent filing that “too many international students to count” have inquired about transferring to other schools.
Alleged antisemitism and funding cuts
The Trump administration also attempted to revoke Harvard students’ visas in response to alleged antisemitism on campus — a move that drew criticism from some Jewish students.
Noga Marmor, an Israeli student at Harvard, told Axios before the executive order was issued that she is “infuriated by the weaponization of antisemitism to attack not only universities as institutions, but democracy and free speech in the country.” Marmor said she has publicly protested Israel’s military’s actions in its war with Hamas.
Separately, the administration stripped Harvard of billions in federal funding, including grants for medical research that university officials warned are critical to developing lifesaving treatments.
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Author: Cassandra Buchman
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