U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his administration’s move to block Harvard University from enrolling foreign students, following a court ruling that temporarily paused the decision.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump criticised Harvard for having nearly 31% of its student population made up of international students, claiming these students receive no financial backing from their home countries.
“We want to know who those foreign students are — a reasonable request since we give Harvard billions of dollars, but Harvard isn’t exactly forthcoming,” Trump wrote.
The dispute began after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked Harvard’s authority to admit foreign nationals. Noem had earlier warned the university to provide details about student visa holders allegedly involved in “illegal and violent activities” or face consequences.
Harvard responded with a lawsuit, accusing the federal government of acting in an “arbitrary, capricious, unlawful, and unconstitutional” way. A federal judge has since issued a temporary suspension of the government’s directive, allowing Harvard to continue admitting international students for now.
The Trump administration’s stance is part of a broader crackdown on U.S. universities, citing concerns over anti-Semitism and what officials call overreliance on diversity programmes. It has also revoked visas and begun deportation processes for foreign students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests, citing alleged links to Hamas.
Last month, the administration froze $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard, and the Department of Education has since threatened to pull all research grants.
