Trump's move to block foreign students from Harvard sends shockwaves within Canadian circles
The Donald Trump administration's attempt to revoke Harvard University's ability to enrol international students is sending shockwaves through business and academic circles, with current and former students fearing that Canadian ties with the Ivy League school could become collateral damage in its escalating fight with the White House.
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Last Thursday, Trump announced he was stripping Harvard's access to the government database known as the Student and Visitor Exchange Program that manages international students attending U.S. universities. The order would effectively quash the Cambridge, Mass.-based school's licence to enrol and keep its non-United States students, translating into a potential loss of more than 6,000 students, including 769 Canadian students and scholars currently enrolled at the school.
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'I fear that innocent Canadians who are studying at Harvard may get caught between the crossfire between two powerful forces: Harvard and the Trump administration,' said Nilam Ganenthiran, founder and chief executive of Beacon Software Inc., an investor in software companies, and former president of Canadian-American grocery delivery platform Instacart.
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Canadians represent Harvard's second-largest international student contingent, with enrolment remaining largely consistent over the past decade. The school boasts a long list of Canadian alumni, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, who graduated with a degree in economics in 1987, alongside notable academics, businesspeople and athletes.
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Canada's relationship with Harvard dates back at least 70 years; the school has been certified by the U.S. government to enrol international students under the F-1 student visa program since 1954.
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But the White House has repeatedly accused Harvard of failing to combat antisemitism on campus, which it cites as justification for its actions against America's oldest university.
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Harvard responded to Trump's order last week by suing the government in federal court, accusing the administration of 'clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights' to make its own decisions about how to govern the school, the lawsuit said.
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'With a stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard's student body, international students who contribute significantly to the university and its mission,' the complaint said.
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A federal judge temporarily blocked Trump's order, preventing an immediate crisis for Harvard's international student body, but a hearing commenced on Thursday to consider whether the temporary measure should be extended.
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CTV News
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Toronto Star
9 minutes ago
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Global LGBTQ+ advocates gather ‘on Trump's doorstep' at World Pride despite travel anxiety
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Toronto Sun
9 minutes ago
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