Donald Trump has suspended the entry of foreign students intending to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University for an initial period of six months, citing national security concerns.
The proclamation, issued on Wednesday, claims that allowing international students at Harvard is “detrimental” to U.S. interests and accuses the university of maintaining “extensive entanglements” with foreign nations.
In response, Harvard immediately filed legal documents seeking to block the order, describing it as a “retaliatory” and unconstitutional action that violates the university’s First Amendment rights.
The move intensifies an ongoing legal conflict between the White House and Harvard, which began after the university defied federal demands and faced frozen funding over alleged failures to curb antisemitism.
The order also directs the State Department to consider revoking existing visas of foreign students currently enrolled at Harvard and suspends new visa issuance for those planning to attend.
Harvard President Alan Garber said contingency plans are underway for the nearly 7,000 international students—around 27% of the university’s population—whose academic futures have been thrown into uncertainty.
In its updated lawsuit, Harvard accuses the Trump administration of waging a “vendetta” against the institution in retaliation for exercising its free speech rights.
The White House maintains that Harvard failed to provide adequate information on alleged illegal or dangerous activities of foreign students, submitting deficient data on only three cases.
This latest restriction follows a judge’s earlier ruling that temporarily blocked the Department of Homeland Security from banning international students at the university.
Trump’s decision also comes amid broader federal efforts to pressure U.S. universities, including recent threats to strip Columbia University of its accreditation over alleged civil rights violations.
