US government bans Harvard University from recruiting international students

Latest escalation of tensions

On May 20 (US time), the administration of US President Donald Trump stripped Harvard University of its right to recruit international students. This is a significant escalation in the long-standing tension between the US government and the country's top prestigious university.

The US Department of Homeland Security has just announced that Harvard University will no longer be allowed to recruit foreign students. International students currently studying at Harvard University will have to transfer or be considered illegal residents.

US President Donald Trump is pushing for tighter management of universities in the US (Illustration: CNBC).

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the decision was made after Harvard University refused to provide records of some international students, as requested by authorities.

In a letter to Harvard University on May 20, Ms. Noem stated that the school "maintains an unsafe and hostile learning environment for a portion of its students, promoting extremist views, and implementing policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion that are racist."

The official announcement of the US Department of Homeland Security also assessed the latest move of the US Government as a warning to alleducational institutions in the US.

In recent times, Harvard University has become a "hot spot" in the escalating tensions between the administration of US President Donald Trump and America's top universities.

US President Donald Trump is pushing for tighter control over universities, from admissions and recruitment to academic activities and disciplinary regulations. This move comes amid widespread student protests in the US.

These students want to express their views on conflicts in the world , but the US government considers these moves not beneficial to the US, or to the academic environment in universities.

Recently, Harvard University has had its funding cut by the US government, threatened with losing its tax exemption, and now the school continues to lose the right to recruit international students (Illustration: CNBC).

Therefore, the US Government is taking measures to combat racism, so that students from all countries and regions feel safe when studying in universities in the US. They will no longer be "boycotted" by crowds, or even face danger, when protests take place on university campuses.

Recently, the administration of US President Donald Trump has cut off more than $2.2 billion in funding for Harvard University. This is a warning move against this school, because they do not comply with the authorities' requirements related to admissions, recruitment, adjustment of training programs and policies applied in the school.

Harvard University speaks out against

Responding to the latest decision of the US Government, Harvard University issued an official statement, calling it "a retaliation that goes against the provisions of the law".

"We are committed to protecting the right to education of our international student community. They come from more than 140 countries and territories, making great contributions to the development of Harvard University as well as to the United States," said school spokesman Jason Newton.

Harvard University said the decision to ban international student recruitment would have serious consequences for the school and the United States, because the decision "goes against the school's academic and research mission."

Harvard University is in an unprecedented crisis in its 388-year history (Illustration: CNBC).

According to Harvard University statistics, the school currently has nearly 10,000 international students and researchers. Many faculty members at Harvard University are concerned that the loss of international students will seriously affect the quality of research and academic standing of the school, as well as of American higher education in general.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said: "Recruiting foreign students is a privilege, not a right. Harvard University has turned a prestigious academic institution into a place where many individuals with extremist ideologies gather.

The school has repeatedly failed to address serious issues that have negatively impacted American students, and now they must suffer the consequences."

Many scholars at the school have now spoken out strongly against it. Harvard economics professor Jason Furman called the latest move by US authorities “bad on every level.”

"It's hard to imagine Harvard without international students. They are a huge source of innovation and an important part of America's 'soft power,'" Furman said.

Another professor at the school told US media that if this policy were to be implemented in practice, many of the school's laboratories would have to close.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/chinh-phu-my-cam-dai-hoc-harvard-tuyen-sinh-vien-quoc-te-20250523070544379.htm