Trump’s Crackdown on Harvard Targets Palestinian Students, Academic Freedom
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The Trump administration’s decision to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students marks a severe blow to academic freedom and unfairly targets Palestinian students.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump’s administration stripped Harvard of its Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, effective for the 2025-2026 school year, forcing thousands of international students, including those from Palestine, to transfer or face deportation.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem justified the move, alleging Harvard fosters “violence, antisemitism, and coordination with the Chinese Communist Party.”
Harvard condemned the action as illegal and retaliatory, arguing it undermines the university’s mission and harms its diverse community.
This escalation reflects Trump’s ongoing campaign against Harvard, a leading Ivy League institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which he has singled out for its progressive values.
The decision followed Harvard’s refusal to comply with Noem’s demands for sensitive information about foreign student visa holders, including those involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy.
Nearly 6,800 international students, comprising 27% of Harvard’s enrollment, studied at the university in the 2024-2025 school year, with significant numbers from China, Canada, India, and other nations.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington has not yet responded to inquiries about the policy’s impact.
“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments,” Noem stated.
Noem’s letter to Harvard offered a chance to restore certification if the university provides extensive records, including protest activity footage, within 72 hours.
Harvard labeled the demand “unlawful” and reaffirmed its commitment to educating global scholars, including those advocating for Palestinian rights.
“This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” the university declared.
Congressional Democrats, including Representative Jaime Raskin, decried the move as an “intolerable attack on Harvard’s independence and academic freedom,” accusing the administration of punishing the university for resisting Trump’s policies.
Trump’s recent freeze of $3 billion in federal grants to Harvard has already prompted legal action from the university to restore funding.
A federal judge ruled on Thursday that the administration cannot terminate the legal status of foreign students without proper regulatory processes, though its impact on Harvard remains unclear.
Trump’s broader agenda includes aggressive immigration restrictions, targeting students involved in pro-Palestinian protests with visa and green card revocations.
His administration has accused private universities of promoting “anti-American” and “radical left” ideologies, with Harvard facing criticism for employing prominent Democrats.
The US Department of Health and Human Services also cut $60 million in Harvard grants, citing unaddressed anti-Semitic harassment and ethnic discrimination.
