WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended the entry of international students into Harvard University for six months, a move that escalates his administration’s clash with the Ivy League institution over foreign influence, civil rights, and campus protests.
In a presidential proclamation issued Wednesday, Trump claimed Harvard’s ties with unnamed foreign countries and its alleged failure to cooperate with federal authorities posed a national security threat.
He said allowing foreign students to enrol at Harvard had become “detrimental” to U.S. interests.
“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 of study at Harvard University,” the proclamation states.
The sweeping order halts new student visas and exchange programmes at Harvard and instructs the Secretary of State to consider revoking existing visas for current international students.
The suspension may be extended beyond the initial six-month period.
Harvard responded by calling the move “retaliatory” and “illegal,” vowing to continue supporting its foreign student community.
The university accused the Trump administration of violating its First Amendment rights, according to Reuters.
The directive comes just days after a federal judge blocked a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attempt to revoke Harvard’s certification to host international students.
That ruling allowed foreign students to remain on campus as legal proceedings continue.
Trump’s proclamation portrays Harvard as having “extensive entanglements” with foreign governments and accuses the university of failing to report “known illegal or dangerous activities” by foreign students.
The White House said the school provided data on only three students and ignored repeated DHS requests for cooperation.
The order adds a new twist to a months-long standoff between the Trump administration and Harvard, which began in April when the university resisted federal demands tied to antisemitism-related investigations.
In response, the administration froze billions of dollars in federal research funds and ramped up scrutiny of campus protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Last month, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem revoked Harvard’s ability to admit new foreign students, a move promptly overturned in court.
A second ruling last week upheld that decision, temporarily protecting foreign students’ ability to remain in the U.S. while litigation proceeds.
But Trump’s proclamation sidesteps that legal roadblock, throwing the fate of nearly 7,000 international students — about 27% of Harvard’s student body — into renewed uncertainty.
The timing also carries political weight. Last week, during Harvard’s graduation ceremony, a Chinese student made headlines for urging unity in a speech, just days after Trump vowed to “aggressively” revoke visas for Chinese nationals.
The crackdown at Harvard comes as part of a broader Trump-era campaign targeting elite universities.
Earlier Wednesday, the White House warned Columbia University it could lose accreditation for allegedly failing to protect Jewish students on campus.
