President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation restricting the entry of foreign students who are wanting to participate in exchange programs at Harvard University.
According to Reuters, the order is the latest dispute between the Trump administration and the Ivy League school, with the order directing the U.S. State Department to consider revoking existing student visas of student that meet the order’s criteria.
The directive states that Harvard has “demonstrated a history of concerning foreign ties of radicalism.” It further states the FBI has “long warned that foreign adversaries take advantage of easy access to American higher education to steal information, exploit research and development and spread false information.”
The notice stated that Harvard had experienced a significant increase in crime in recent years while neglecting to enforce disciplinary measures for certain types of conduct violations on campus. Additionally, it accused the university of failing to adequately report foreign students alleged illegal or hazardous activities to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The proclamation alleged that Harvard had significant ties to foreign adversaries, citing over $150 million in funding from China alone. It also claimed that many individuals responsible for antisemitic incidents on campus were identified as foreign students.
Earlier measures by the Trump administration include freezing billions of dollars in grants and other funding, revoking the school’s tax-exempt status, and launching an investigation into possible discrimination against white, Asian, male, or straight employees and job applicants.
