Trump's war on international students has already done damage
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at
letters@scmp.com or filling in
this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification
I refer to 'Trump's crackdown on international students affects far more US schools than Harvard' (
June 12 ).
Barring all foreign nationals who plan to attend Harvard University under the guise of national security is not only wrong – it's a shocking abuse of power. The new presidential proclamation doesn't single out any nation, but blocks students from Australia, Canada, China and many other countries who have worked hard to earn a place in American higher education.
These students are not just names on visa applications – they are highly motivated, talented individuals. For many, the chance to study at Harvard should have been one of the happiest moments of their lives. Instead, they now face uncertainty and fear because they chose to study at a university US President Donald Trump seems to have a grudge against. That is deeply unfair. It also sends a chilling message to the world that America no longer values the openness and opportunity that have long defined its universities.
Even though a judge has
temporarily blocked the order , the damage is already done and the precedent set: the United States has signalled its willingness to label international students as national security risks.
This policy threatens to cut off the flow of ideas, undermining American leadership in research and education. Worse still, while this policy currently targets Harvard, it's a warning to every other institution that might stand up for openness and academic freedom.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
16 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump and Putin discuss Israel-Iran tensions: ‘dangerous escalation'
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a 50-minute phone call on Saturday to discuss the escalating situation in the Middle East and Ukraine peace talks, Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said. During the conversation, Putin briefed Trump on his recent talks with the leaders of Iran and Israel and reiterated Russia's proposal to seek mutually acceptable solutions on the Iranian nuclear issue. 'The dangerous escalation of the situation in the Middle East was naturally at the centre of the exchange of opinions,' Ushakov told journalists following the conversation between Putin and Trump. 'Vladimir Putin, having condemned the military operation against Iran, expressed serious concern about the possible escalation of the conflict,' he said, warning of 'unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East'. Putin also emphasised Russia's readiness to carry out possible mediation efforts and noted that Russia had proposed steps 'aimed at finding mutually acceptable agreements' during US-Iran negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme. 'Russia's principled approach and interest in the settlement remain unchanged,' Ushakov said.
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Minnesota former house speaker and husband killed in political shooting
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in a politically motivated assassination. A second lawmaker and his wife were shot and wounded. 'We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,' Walz said at a press conference on Saturday. 'Those responsible for this will be held accountable.' The wounded lawmaker was identified as state Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, was first elected in 2012. He runs Hoffman Strategic Advisors, a consulting firm. He previously served as vice chair of the Anoka-Hennepin School Board, which manages the largest school district in Minnesota. Hoffman is married and has one daughter. Hortman was the top House Democratic leader in the state Legislature and a former House speaker. She was first elected in 2004. Both Hoffman and Hortman represented districts located north of Minneapolis. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said that authorities were actively searching for a suspect. Officials said the suspect was dressed as a law enforcement officer.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Misuse of AI risks harming public confidence in the justice system
The risks of relying on artificial intelligence for research, without verifying the results, should by now be clear to all, almost three years after the groundbreaking launch of ChatGPT. Lawyers using generative AI tools to prepare material for court should be setting a shining example. But judges around the world, from Britain to the US, Canada and Australia, continue to be presented with arguments based on non-existent court judgments generated by AI. More needs to be done to prevent such abuses. Hong Kong is not immune to the problem. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok used a ceremony for three new senior counsel to sound a warning last weekend. He said the city's legal profession faced the challenge of adopting new technology without compromising integrity. Lam then quoted from a UK court judgment delivered the previous day. The court had warned that AI tools are 'not capable of conducting reliable legal research'. Dame Victoria Sharp, one of two judges ruling in the case of Ayinde, pointed out that AI's 'apparently coherent and plausible responses' may be entirely incorrect or simply untrue.
