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In a decision that rekindle debates on immigration and international education, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Wednesday forbidding Harvard University to admit new foreign students. The measure, according to the White House, aims to protect US national security, claiming that educational institutions such as Harvard would be used by “foreign opponents” for misconduct for research and disinformation dissemination .
US President Donald Trump – Photo: Ken Cedeno/Reuters
The proclamation points out that Harvard would have provided data considered insufficient to the Department of Internal Security (DHS) on suspicious activities involving foreign students. The government argues that the university reported only three suspicious cases, a number considered low in the amount of international students present in the campus.
In addition, the document mentions the receipt of about $ 150 million for Harvard from China, claiming that, on the other hand, the university would have collaborated with individuals linked to the Chinese Communist Party and with research that could have military applications . The decision marks a new chapter in the clash between the Trump government and the university, which had already faced previous attempts to suspend certification in the Federal Program of Students and Exchange Visitors.
The measure directly impacts about 7,000 foreign students, representing approximately 25% of the institution’s student body . Harvard University has not yet officially commented on the new executive order
