Venkat Raman
Auckland, June 6, 2025
In an unprecedented move that targets the pinnacle of American higher education, President Donald Trump has issued a sweeping Order that effectively slams the door on new international students hoping to attend Harvard University.
The proclamation, signed on Wednesday, 4 June 2025, suspends the entry of any foreign national seeking to begin their studies at Harvard on an F-1 student visa or as a J-1 exchange visitor. The directive, which also opens the possibility of revoking the visas of current students, represents a dramatic escalation in the Trump Administration’s conflict with elite universities and sends a chilling message to the global academic community.
For thousands of prospective students around the world, including large cohorts from India and China, the Order transforms dreams of a Harvard education into a nightmare of uncertainty. The University, which boasts an international student population of nearly 7000, representing over a quarter of its total enrolment, has become the focal point of a heated battle over academic freedom, national security, and the ideological direction of higher education in America.
The Accusations
The rationale for this extraordinary action, as detailed in an accompanying White House fact sheet, is multifaceted, blending geopolitical concerns with accusations of institutional misconduct. The Trump Administration claims that the move is a necessary measure to safeguard national security. The official statement alleges that Harvard has become an untrustworthy steward of federal student visa programmes, accusing the University of having “extensive entanglements with foreign adversaries.” Specifically, the White House pointed to over $150 million in funding from China and collaborations with individuals and organisations linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
The Trump Administration also accuses Harvard of failing to cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security by not adequately reporting on the disciplinary records of its foreign students.
The proclamation suggests that the University is either “not fully reporting its disciplinary records for foreign students or is not seriously policing its foreign students.”
The Order also weaves in broader cultural grievances, referencing the Trump Administration’s concerns over the handling of antisemitic incidents on campus and the University’s continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, which it claims defy a 2023 Supreme Court ruling against race-based admissions practices.
Harvard’s Response
Harvard’s response was one of immediate and forceful defiance. The University promptly filed an amended complaint in Federal Court, building on an existing lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s prior attempts to sanction the institution.
Labelling the proclamation an ‘illegal retaliatory step’ and a ‘government vendetta,’ Harvard is seeking an immediate injunction to halt its enforcement.
In a communication to the University community, Harvard President Alan M Garber condemned the Order as a targeted attack.
“Singling out our institution for its enrolment of international students and its collaboration with other educational institutions around the world is yet another illegal step taken by the Trump Administration to retaliate against Harvard,” he said.
The University’s legal argument asserts that President Trump has overstepped his authority; rather than barring a “class of aliens” detrimental to national interests as the law allows, the Order unlawfully punishes a single institution. In a powerful declaration within its court filing, the University stated, “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.”
The Impact on Indians and Chinese
The impact of this Order is felt most acutely by the students themselves. For aspiring scholars from countries like India and China, which are among the top sources of international students in the US, the path to a coveted spot at Harvard has been abruptly blocked.
These students and their families often invest years of effort and significant financial resources into the application process. The proclamation not only dashes the hopes of those with acceptance letters for the upcoming academic year but also throws the lives of current students into disarray. The provision directing the Secretary of State to consider revoking existing visas creates a deeply precarious situation, leaving them unsure if they can travel home for holidays or even continue their programmes to completion.
One student from India, who had been admitted to a Master’s Programme at the Harvard Kennedy School, expressed a sense of disbelief and betrayal. Having resigned from her job in Mumbai and paid a substantial deposit, she now faces the collapse of her carefully laid plans.
Students from China, who already navigate a complex geopolitical landscape and intense visa scrutiny, see this as a clear signal that they are no longer welcome, regardless of their academic merit.
This targeted action against Harvard is seen by many analysts as the culmination of a protracted campaign. The Trump Administration has previously sought to exert pressure on the University by freezing research grants and launching probes into its governance and admissions policies.
This latest move is widely interpreted as an end-run around a recent court Order that had temporarily blocked the Department of Homeland Security from revoking Harvard’s certification to enrol foreign students altogether.
Profound Consequences
The long-term consequences could be profound. While the immediate legal battle will determine the fate of this specific proclamation, the chilling effect on the reputation of the United States as a premier destination for education is undeniable.
The perception of political instability and the risk that access to education could be weaponised in a domestic political feud may lead prospective international students to favour universities in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. This could trigger a significant brain drain, depriving the US of the talent, innovation, and cultural enrichment that has long been a cornerstone of its academic and economic strength.
The world is watching as Harvard, a symbol of global scholarship, fights not just for its own students, but for the principle of an open and welcoming academic world.
Leo Mirani, Asia Correspondent of The Economist said that President Trump has declared war on America’s elite universities.
“The largest contingent of foreign students at American universities comes from India. These are some of the country’s brightest young people (or at least those with the best access to financing). The papers have for the past few days been full of stories of anguished students wondering if their dreams are about to be shattered, or if they should go to Britain or Australia or Canada instead.
The problem is that India’s top universities simply do not match up, not just to America’s best institutions, but to those anywhere: no Indian University appears in the top 100 of international league tables,” he said.
In this clash of power and principle, the legal battle rages far beyond Harvard’s gates; it is a fight for the very soul of American higher education. As the world’s brightest watch, they question if America’s welcoming door is closing for good, leaving the future of global talent and the nation’s academic prestige hanging precariously in the balance.
