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Trump vs. Harvard: No more foreign students?

32 0
26.05.2025

Founded in 1636, Harvard University is one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world. It has produced many Nobel laureates and eight US presidents. However, the current US president, Donald Trump, has declared Harvard "a JOKE" — one he doesn't find funny. According to Trump, the university teaches "hate and stupidity" and hires "woke, radical left, idiots." This, he stated in a post on his own social media platform, Truth Social, in mid-April, was why Harvard "should no longer receive federal funds."

Government agencies immediately froze $2.2 billion (approximately €2.2 billion) that had been earmarked for the university. Then, in May, a government antisemitism task force informed the university leadership that an additional $450 million of funding was also being cut.

On Thursday, May 22, the Trump administration escalated the conflict further. The US Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, issued a letter revoking the university's license to enroll foreign students. Harvard was given a 72-hour deadline to provide the administration with specific information about foreign students if it wished to regain its license.

Harvard promptly sued the administration, and scored an initial legal victory the following day when US District Judge Allison D. Burroughs found in the university's favor. She accepted its argument that the government order would cause Harvard "immediate and irreparable injury," and temporarily blocked the order pending a further hearing.

As Trump himself and many of those close to him have repeatedly indicated, they are troubled........

© Deutsche Welle