President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will deny visas for foreign students trying to come to the United States to attend Harvard University, his latest attack on the prominent Ivy League college.
The administration tried late last month to revoke Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students — a move that was swiftly blocked by a federal judge.
In a proclamation Wednesday, Trump said Harvard failed to present sufficient information about its foreign students to the federal government.
“Harvard provided data on misconduct by only three students, and the data it provided was so deficient that the DHS could not evaluate whether it should take further actions,” Trump said, referring to the Department of Homeland Security.
Harvard said it would fight to protect its international students.
"This is yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights," a spokesperson for the university said Wednesday night.
Trump made his pledge as he announced what amounts to a travel ban for 12 countries and limitations on seven others.
The proclamation said the president would “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 program hosted by Harvard University.”
It added that the State Department would review existing foreign students under F, M or J visas to see whether their visas should be revoked.
Trump and his administration have attacked Harvard, saying it has not done enough to combat antisemitism on campus during demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war.
Harvard in April rejected Trump administration demands that included auditing viewpoints of the student body. In response, the federal government said it was freezing more than $2 billion in federal grants.
The administration previously sought to limit Harvard's ability to enroll foreign students by revoking its certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, Harvard said. The government also sought to prohibit Harvard from sponsoring F and J visas.
Harvard President Alan M. Garber responded in a letter on May 23 that Harvard was being retaliated against for refusing to surrender to the Trump administration's illegal attempts to control it and its students.
"We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action," Garber said. "It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams."
