The Trump administration has escalated its battle with Harvard University, threatening to ban the Ivy League school from enrolling international students unless it complies with new federal demands targeting antisemitism on campus.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Harvard of “threatening national security” and harboring foreign students engaged in “illegal and violent” activities—a claim the university strongly denies.
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Harvard President Alan Garber issued a defiant response, declaring the university “will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
The standoff puts billions in federal funding at risk, including $2.2 billion frozen by the government and potential revocation of Harvard’s tax-exempt status—a move Donald Trump personally endorsed on Truth Social, calling the school “a JOKE” that “teaches Hate and Stupidity.”
With foreign students making up over 27% of Harvard’s enrollment, the administration’s threat could seriously affect the university’s global standing.
Noem’s demand for records on visa holders mirrors broader Trump-era policies targeting universities with pro-Palestinian protests, where Jewish students report feeling unsafe.
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The White House’s antisemitism task force, launched in February, has placed 60 universities under review. Columbia University capitulated to similar demands in March after losing $400 million in funding, replacing leaders in its Middle Eastern studies department and pledging “unbiased admissions.”
Harvard has taken tentative steps, dismissing two Middle East studies directors last month, but remains resistant to Noem’s latest ultimatum.
The Harvard clash reflects Trump’s longstanding campaign against elite universities, which he accuses of liberal bias. Since taking office, his administration has tied federal funding to antisemitism enforcement, with Ivies (Ivy League Colleges) like Harvard and Columbia as prime targets.
