Foreign students who want to study at Harvard University will no longer be able to enter the United States. President Donald Trump signed a so-called proclamation on Wednesday that will prevent foreign Harvard students from receiving a visa for at least the next six months.
According to the White House, the measure is intended to “restrict access for foreigners who come to the US solely or primarily for study or exchange programs at Harvard.” The measure can be extended for another six months after the first six months.
Exchange students who want to go to Harvard are also denied access to the US. In addition, Trump is calling on the US State Department to check existing visas of current foreign Harvard students and consider revoking them.
The measure is a new chapter in the conflict between the Trump administration and Harvard. Trump previously forbade Harvard from admitting foreign students to the university. That decision was temporarily suspended by a judge. At the end of May, the government gave Harvard thirty days to meet certain requirements. Trump is putting extra pressure on the university with the new measure.
According to the government, the university is guilty of “promoting violence and anti-Semitism on campus, and conspiring with the Chinese Communist Party.” No evidence was provided for these accusations. Harvard must provide its own evidence to the contrary to the government.
Harvard speaks of ‘new illegal act of revenge’
Harvard calls Trump’s visa measure an act of revenge, presumably for previous legal actions the university took against the government. According to the university, it is a violation of the constitutional right to challenge government policy. “We will continue to protect our international students,” the 389-year-old university said.
Approximately 7,000 people from outside the United States are affiliated with Harvard. Among them are nearly 6,800 students, about a quarter of the total student population. “Without international students, Harvard is no longer Harvard,” the university said earlier.