Trump suspends visas for new Harvard international students  

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping proclamation suspending the issuance of visas for new international students enrolling at Harvard University.

The move marks a sharp escalation in the administration’s ongoing conflict with the Ivy League school.

The order halts the issuance of F, M, and J visas—the most common categories for international academic and exchange students—for new enrollees at Harvard.

It also directs the Secretary of State to consider revoking those visas for certain existing international students, further tightening restrictions.

Harvard, which counts international students as 27% of its population, now faces increased legal and operational uncertainty, especially after a federal court recently blocked a similar attempt by the Trump administration to limit its ability to host foreign students.

A Harvard spokesperson denounced the order as an “unlawful and retaliatory act” that violates the university’s First Amendment rights.

The university pledged to continue defending its students and challenging the administration’s actions.

The White House justified the policy on national security grounds, accusing Harvard of concealing data on international student conduct, maintaining foreign ties, and promoting “radical ideologies.”

It also faulted the school for failing to curb antisemitism and continuing to prioritise diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

The proclamation does not affect students at other U.S. institutions participating in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and includes exemptions for individuals deemed to be in the national interest.

The suspension is scheduled to last six months but could be extended, with a policy review due within 90 days.

Citing “Harvard’s conduct,” the proclamation declares the university unfit to host foreign students or researchers.

China, a major source of international students in the U.S., strongly criticised the decision.

A spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned it as politically motivated and harmful to academic collaboration.

The new policy follows a recent legal defeat for the administration, in which a judge blocked the Department of Homeland Security from revoking Harvard’s SEVP certification over the university’s refusal to release student conduct records.

Tensions between Harvard and the Trump administration have been mounting, fueled by disagreements over campus speech, DEI efforts, and admissions policies.

The Department of Education has warned institutions that failing to protect Jewish students or factoring race into decision-making could jeopardize their federal funding.

Recently, the administration also targeted Columbia University with similar criticisms, questioning its accreditation status.

Trump’s focus on Harvard intensified after the administration froze $2.2 billion of the university’s federal funding, later cutting an additional $450 million in grants.

The White House also ordered the cancellation of remaining government contracts with Harvard, totalling around $100 million, and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status.