Explaining Trump’s latest move against Harvard
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What did Trump's administration do to Harvard?
But first, the Trump administration says Harvard can no longer enroll international students and that existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status. The move comes as the administration has been trying to pressure Harvard, the nation's oldest and wealthiest university, to conform to its policies and political leanings. In a post on X, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, quote, it is a privilege, not a right for universities to enroll foreign students. And she said this was a warning to other universities, telling them to get your act together. Previously, DHS had threatened to revoke the university's ability to enroll these students if Harvard did not turn over records of what Noem claimed were illegal and violent activities from international students on campus. In this new letter, Noem said their international program certification could be renewed if records are sent within 72 hours.
Harvard enrolled around 6,800 international students this year. That's a little over a quarter of its entire student body. And international students are a huge source of income because they tend to pay full tuition plus room and board.
How many international students does Harvard enroll?
A spokesperson for the university referred to the administration's decision as unlawful and retaliatory and said it's quickly working to provide guidance to students. Here's Ryan Enos, a professor of government at Harvard and a member of a group of professors currently suing the Trump administration over funding cuts, speaking to CNN.
This is one of the great things about the United States is that people come from all over the world to study here. It's an incredible blessing. It's something that no other country has where the smartest people in the world come to our institutions to study. And ultimately, that punishment isn't just going to Harvard. It's going to the United States. It has taken away a great resource that has built up through these universities like Harvard.
A resource that, in a way, subsidizes a lot of other students' tuitions, as explained by NBC News correspondent Antonia Hilton.
So who this is actually going to hurt? All of the marginalized and underprivileged Americans who depend on financial aid.
What are the international students at Harvard facing now?
This is just the latest in a month's long back and forth between the administration and Harvard. The New York Times tallied up at least eight investigations the Trump administration has launched against Harvard across at least six agencies — Nearly $4 billion in grants and funding has been frozen, which the university has sued the administration over. Last month, Harvard's President Alan Garber wrote a letter to the Harvard community saying it would not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights, and saying no government should dictate what private universities can teach or who they admit. As for what comes next for international students at Harvard, Hilton said on NBC, many are now deeply worried.
There are international students waiting for their graduation day in just a couple days right now. With this system being revoked, technically what students are telling me they're fearful could happen. DHS agents, ICE agents could come to the campus if they do not leave and go back to their home countries in the next couple days. And they could essentially go through what we've seen happen to students in other campuses across the country over the last couple months.
But Harvard might get some short-term relief. Just hours after Noem announced this move, a federal judge in California blocked the Trump administration from terminating the legal status of international students nationwide while another case on the issue is pending. Now to an invite-only crypto gala hosted by the president in Virginia last night.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What did Trump's administration do to Harvard?
0:34–1:46
2
How many international students does Harvard enroll?
1:46–2:45
3
What are the international students at Harvard facing now?
2:45–4:48
4
What was the purpose of Trump's crypto gala?
4:48–4:51
5
Who attended Trump's crypto gala and why?
4:51–5:39
6
How is Trump benefiting from the crypto coin?
5:39–6:30
7
What are the ethical concerns surrounding Trump's crypto coin?
6:30–14:44
Speakers
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