In a fresh crackdown on higher education, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a visa ban that blocks all new foreign students from enrolling at Harvard University, effective immediately.
In an official proclamation issued on Wednesday, Trump declared that the restriction targets foreign nationals who intend to begin studies or participate in any exchange visitor program at the Ivy League institution.
“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 of study at Harvard University or in an exchange visitor programme hosted by Harvard University,” Trump said.
The move marks an escalation in Trump’s long-standing tensions with academia, particularly Harvard, which has openly defied his administration’s attempts to assert influence over university policies on recruitment, curriculum, and research autonomy.
According to the proclamation, the visa restriction “shall apply to aliens who enter or attempt to enter the United States to begin attending Harvard University through the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme.”
Trump’s administration cited national security as the primary justification for the order.
“In my judgment, it presents an unacceptable risk to our Nation’s security for an academic institution to refuse to provide sufficient information, when asked, about known instances of misconduct and criminality committed by its foreign students,” Trump asserted.
Beyond national security, the President accused Harvard of promoting unequal access and discriminating against American citizens.
“Harvard and its affiliated organisations on campus continue to deny hardworking Americans equal opportunities,” he said.
“It is not in the interest of the United States to further compound Harvard’s discrimination against non-preferred races, national origins, shared ancestries, or religions by further reducing opportunities for American students through excessive foreign student enrollment,” the document added.
The directive applies specifically to new international students, but also orders a review of visas held by current foreign students at Harvard, leaving many in uncertainty as they could face revocation of their visas.
The visa ban comes amid increasing scrutiny of international student presence under the Trump administration. Just last week, a federal judge extended a temporary block on Trump’s earlier attempt to prevent Harvard from enrolling new foreign students, a move that drew legal resistance and academic outcry.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has pledged to “aggressively revoke” visas held by students from China and other countries viewed as security threats by the administration.
