Trump administration says Harvard may lose ability to enroll foreign students:

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Harvard University is at risk of losing its ability to enroll international students if it continues to defy the Trump administration's request to disclose certain information relating to visa holders. This statement clearly intensifies the government's striking stance against one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States.

Secretary of DHS Kristi Noem also confirmed on Wednesday that she has canceled two DHS grants from Harvard University, which total over $2.7 million.

Noem claimed that she sent a deadline request for documents she termed “illegal and violent conduct” by foreign student visa holders enrolled at Harvard to the university for the 30th of April.

“Unless Harvard, beyond a reasonable doubt, proves it is in total compliance with its reporting obligations, it will forfeit the opportunity to permit foreign-national students to study at the institution,” she stated.

A spokesperson for Harvard noted that the institution was notified of Noem's related letters, including those on grant cancellations and, more controversially, foreign student visas.

The spokesperson noted that Harvard would not surrender its domestic sovereignty by saying the university leads self-governance over its internal affairs, while standing by its earlier statement claiming compliance with the law.

President Trump’s administration threatened to strip federal funding from universities that hosted pro-Palestinian protests in the U.S. during the Gaza war, following the October 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians.

In typical Trump fashion, he branded such protesters as anti-semites who place sympathy on soldiers of the Hamas terror group. In defense, some Jewish advocacy groups claimed the protesters had a legitimate reason to advocate for Palestinians and argued that the Trump administration’s interpretation was indeed extreme.

They are also trying to deport some of the international protesters and have cancelled hundreds of student visas over the last month.

“Harvard can fund its own chaos - DHS won’t,” South Dakota’s governor Noem surmised, accusing the institution of having ‘anti-American, pro-Hamas ideologies and claiming the university is funded by taxpayer money.

Harvard has said it fought against the abuses of antisemitism and other forms of bias, but that did not mean academic freedom and the right to dissent were undermined.

TRUMP'S CRACKDOWN
Last month, the Trump administration announced plans to review a $9 billion federal contract and grant agreement with Harvard, suggesting his government would cut funding if the university did not control hostility toward Jews and put a stop to programs it labeled ‘inclusivity, diversity, pro-anti-Semitic propaganda.

On Monday, Harverd stated that it would not comply with the numerous demands that were sent out and said that accepting them would relinquish control to the government. Shortly after, the Trump administration announced that they would be freezing 2.3 billion dollars in funding.

Trump, who was on a Tuesday spree, also went on to threaten the school by saying he will strip Harvard altogether of their tax exempt status. CNN reported Wednesday that the U.S Internal Revenue was planning to revoke Harvard's tax exempt status and a final decision was bound to come soon.

Harvard was quick to respond and stated there’s no legal premise on which tax exempt status can be removed. They cited the reckless and unprecedented action would lead to diminishing financial aids offered for students while abandoning critical medical research programs.

Human rights advocates raised issues concerning free speech and academic freedoms targeted for violation in the name of protecting the state.

The Trump administration has frozen and canceled funding for slashing resources aimed at Columbia, Princeton, Brown, Cornell, and Northwestern universities.

In other cases, funding was cut over acts deemed culture wars such as DEI initiatives and policies regarding the transgender issue.

Rights advocates brought up additLoveional scrutiny concerning Islamophobia and assumptions of anti Arab bias amid the Israel – Gaza war. No steps have been taken regarding responses from the Trump administration.