Washington
US President Donald Trump has again attacked Harvard University. Trump has sought details of about 31 percent of foreign students studying at Harvard University. This is when an American court on Friday imposed a temporary stay on the move of Trump administration. After this, Trump’s statement has questioned the future of Higher Education and International Students in the US, including a large number of Indian students.
According to a report, Donald Trump claimed on his social media platform Truth Social that about 31% of the students studying in Harvard are foreign and the university is refraining to give information about these students. He wrote, “Harvard is not saying that about 31% of his students are from foreign countries and yet those countries, some of which are not friendly for the United States at all, they do not pay anything for their students’ education nor do they ever intend to do so.”
Trump further wrote, “We want to know who those foreign students are, this is a proper request because we give billions of dollars to Harvard, but Harvard is not cooperating at all. We want to know those names and countries. Harvard has $ 52,000,000 (more than four billion funds in Indian rupees), use it and stop asking you to continue to give you money!”
Start of controversy: What are the accusations on Harvard?
The Trump administration on Thursday canceled the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification of Harvard University with immediate effect. Without this certification, Harvard cannot admit new foreign students and about 7,000 foreign students currently studying will have to be transferred to other universities, otherwise their visa status will be endangered.
Homeland Security Secretary Christie NoM accused Harvard of promoting “violence, anti-Jewish spirit, and coordination with the Chinese Communist Party”. Nom said that it is a “warning” that all universities will have to follow the law and it is the “privilege” to admit foreign students, not rights.
The Trump administration has freeze Harvard’s federal grant of $ 2.2 billion and additional funds of $ 450 million. The administration had demanded the university to discontinue diversity, equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, make changes in admission policies, and audit some academic programs related to the Middle East, which Harvard turned down.
Harvard’s answer and legal step
Harvard, calling the move as “illegal” and “ventilative”, immediately filed a case in Boston’s federal court. The university said in its complaint that this decision is the “open violation” of the first amendment of the US Constitution, Dew Process Claus, and the Administrative Procedure Act. Harvard argued that the move will have “immediate and destructive effects” on the university and its more than 7,000 visa holders.
Harvard said, “The government has tried to eliminate one-fourth part of Harvard’s student community, ie international students, who contribute significantly to the university and its mission.” Without international students, Harvard, not Harvard. ” The university also stated that it has around 6,800 international students in the 2024-2025 season, which is 27% of the total enrollment.
Court imposed temporary stay on Trump’s move
On Friday, Boston’s District Judge Ellison Baroj imposed a temporary ban on the Trump administration’s decision, so that the matter could be fully heard. The judge said that Harvard could harm this step. The next hearing has been scheduled on 27 and 29 May.
