President Donald Trump has issued an executive order halting nearly all new foreign student entries to Harvard University, intensifying a long-simmering conflict between his administration and the Ivy League institution.
Signed Wednesday, the order accuses Harvard of undermining national interests by failing to comply with federal demands, including turning over detailed records of student misconduct. Trump cited broad presidential powers to suspend the entry of individuals deemed “detrimental to the interests of the United States.”
“I have determined that the entry of the class of foreign nationals described above is detrimental to the interests of the United States because, in my judgment, Harvard’s conduct has rendered it an unsuitable destination for foreign students and researchers,” Trump wrote.
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This latest directive, effective immediately, blocks international students planning to attend Harvard after the order’s signing date, though exceptions exist for cases deemed to “benefit the national interest.”
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The order follows a string of confrontations between the Trump administration and Harvard over the university’s refusal to comply with sweeping policy demands. Tensions reached a new peak when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused Harvard of inadequately reporting disciplinary issues involving foreign students, claims the university disputes.
Harvard responded Wednesday night, stating it would “continue to protect its international students,” and labeled the executive order a breach of constitutional rights.
“This is yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights,” university officials said.
The fight between Trump and Harvard dates back months, rooted in the administration’s criticism of the university as a liberal stronghold and its claims that Harvard has permitted antisemitic harassment on campus. Trump officials have since sought to leverage federal levers, slashing over $2.6 billion in research grants and threatening to cancel all federal contracts with the school.
Harvard’s international student community has now become the latest target. The university hosts roughly 7,000 international students, making up about a quarter of its total enrollment and as much as half in some graduate schools.
Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the move in a post on X: “Admission to the United States to study at an ‘elite’ American university is a privilege, not a right. This Department of Justice will vigorously defend the President’s proclamation suspending the entry of new foreign students at Harvard University based on national security concerns.”
Trump’s executive order further claims that in response to DHS’s request for misconduct records, Harvard reported only three student cases and failed to provide enough detail to warrant federal action.
The order states: “These actions and failures directly undermine the Federal Government’s ability to ensure that foreign nationals admitted on student or exchange visitor visas remain in compliance with Federal law.”
President Donald Trump concluded Harvard is either “not fully reporting its disciplinary records for foreign students or is not seriously policing its foreign students.”
Those already enrolled at Harvard are also under review. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to the order, will determine whether existing student visas should be revoked.
The initial ban will last six months, but the administration has signaled it could be extended. A 90-day review is set to determine whether a renewal is necessary.
To enforce the order, a recent State Department cable instructed U.S. embassies and consulates to begin screening the social media profiles of visa applicants affiliated with Harvard for signs of antisemitism.
The action comes just one week after a federal judge in Boston blocked a similar attempt by the Department of Homeland Security to bar international students from entering the U.S. to attend Harvard. Trump’s current order sidesteps that ruling by invoking alternative legal authority.
Critics have decried the move as politically motivated and unrelated to national security.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., wrote on X: “It’s a thinly veiled revenge ploy in Trump’s personal feud with Harvard, and continued authoritarian overreach against free speech.”
In court filings last week, Harvard’s immigration office revealed that the administration’s actions have caused a climate of “profound fear, concern, and confusion” among international students.
Maureen Martin, who heads the university’s immigration services, noted that many students are now exploring transfer options due to uncertainty around their legal status.
READ ALSO: Trump blasts Harvard for dragging feet on foreign student records
