Trump Bans Foreign Students from Harvard, Citing Security Risks

President Donald Trump signed a sweeping proclamation on June 4, 2025, suspending the entry of foreign students intending to study at Harvard University. The order, which applies to new applicants under F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa categories, also authorizes the U.S. State Department to consider revoking visas of current international students already enrolled at the Ivy League institution.

According to the proclamation, Harvard allegedly failed to comply with federal reporting requirements, maintained “troubling foreign ties,” and became, in the president’s words, an “unsuitable destination” for foreign students and researchers. Trump added that Harvard’s record of “academic radicalism and lack of transparency” contributed to the decision.

The White House’s move follows a prior executive order restricting entry from 12 countries, and comes alongside a call to investigate former President Joe Biden. Trump claimed that Biden’s aides “deliberately concealed his cognitive decline,” ordering a federal probe into their actions.

Harvard University immediately condemned the new policy, calling it a “politically motivated assault” that violates the institution’s rights and academic independence. The university has obtained a court ruling temporarily blocking the Department of Homeland Security from enforcing the order, but uncertainty looms for nearly 7,000 international students—roughly 25% of Harvard’s student body.

The suspension is set for an initial six-month period, with an option to extend. Exceptions will be granted only to those deemed vital to U.S. national interests. The administration has also withdrawn Harvard’s participation in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program and reinstated enhanced visa screening measures, including mandatory social media checks for applicants.

The proclamation signals a dramatic escalation in U.S. immigration policy and higher education regulation, raising urgent questions about the future of academic exchange and America’s role as a global education hub.