Relief in sight for Harvard as Trump Administration 'blinks' in showdown over foreign student enrollment: Report
The Trump administration on Thursday, May 29, indicated it may delay immediate action to revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, opting instead to follow a longer administrative process, according to a new report.
In the filing, as per a report in Reuters, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed it had sent Harvard a notice of intent to withdraw its certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which allows the university to host non-US students.
Harvard University, a global symbol of academic excellence, is now at the center of a high-stakes confrontation with the Trump administration over the US government's decision to bar the university from enrolling foreign students.
Harvard has rejected the Trump administration's accusations of conservative bias, campus antisemitism, and alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The university, as per a report in Reuters, now has 30 days to formally respond to the notice.
The notice was issued ahead of a scheduled hearing before US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston, who was expected to consider Harvard's request to extend a temporary block on the revocation.
Harvard warned that revoking SEVP certification would impact nearly 6,800 international students—roughly 27% of its student body—and be 'devastating' to both the institution and its academic mission.
The move to revoke the certification was first announced by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on May 22. Noem accused Harvard of 'fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.'
In a letter to Harvard, Noem wrote: 'It is a privilege to enroll foreign students, and it is also a privilege to employ aliens on campus.'
She further claimed the university failed to comply with requests for information regarding student visa holders and their activities.
Harvard has also rejected claims it had coordinated with the Chinese government. In court documents, its legal team argued that the DHS was attempting to coerce the university into changing its governance, curriculum, and the ideological makeup of its faculty and students.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday (May 28) called on Harvard University to limit its foreign student admissions to 15%, criticising the Ivy League school for showing "great disrespect" to the United States.
'Harvard has got to behave themselves. Harvard is treating our country with great disrespect and all they're doing is getting in deeper and deeper,' Trump said from the Oval Office. 'I think they should have a cap of maybe around 15%, not 31%. We have people who want to go to Harvard and other schools, they can't get in because we have foreign students there.'
Trump, in his escalation of attacks on Harvard University, threatened to redirect billions in federal funding to trade schools on May 26, while accusing the Ivy League institution of harbouring antisemitism and shielding radicalised foreign students. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he was 'considering taking Three Billion Dollars of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land.'
A day earlier, Trump criticised Harvard's funding requests, saying: 'Harvard has $52,000,000, use it, and stop asking for the Federal Government to continue GRANTING money to you!'
Trump also insisted the university provide a list of its current foreign students, as part of increased scrutiny on immigration and foreign influence in US higher education.
The Trump administration has frozen over $2.6 billion in federal research funding to Harvard and is moving to cancel remaining federal contracts. The administration has also targeted Harvard's diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, accusing them of promoting left-wing bias, and suggested stripping the university's tax-exempt status.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
38 minutes ago
- Indian Express
US judge stops Trump administration from cancelling legal documents of 5,000 Venezuelans
A US federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from cancelling work permits and other legal documents held by about 5,000 Venezuelans living in the country under temporary protection. In a ruling on Friday night, US District Judge Edward Chen said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem likely acted beyond her powers when she decided in February to cancel documents that allowed these individuals to work and live legally in the United States. The decision comes after the US Supreme Court on May 19 allowed the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans more broadly. TPS is granted to people from countries facing war, natural disasters, or other crises. But the court had also said its decision did not prevent affected individuals from challenging the cancellation of specific documents issued under the TPS programme. These documents had been granted during the final days of former President Joe Biden's term, when the Department of Homeland Security extended TPS for Venezuelans by 18 months, to October 2026. Secretary Noem later reversed that extension. Lawyers for several Venezuelans and the National TPS Alliance argued that without valid documents, many people could lose their jobs or face deportation. They asked the judge to confirm that the documents remained valid. 'There is nothing in the law that gives the Secretary the power to cancel those documents,' Judge Chen wrote in his ruling, according to Reuters. He also pointed out that only around 5,000 Venezuelans hold the specific documents in question. 'This smaller number cuts against any contention that the continued presence of these TPS holders… would be a toll on the national or local economies or a threat to national security,' he said. The Department of Homeland Security has not commented on the ruling. The judge's decision came just hours after the US Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end a separate immigration programme that had granted temporary entry, or 'parole,' to more than 500,000 people from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua. (With inputs from Reuters)
Mint
39 minutes ago
- Mint
India self-reliant during Operation Sindoor; Pak leveraged Chinese sources: CDS Gen Anil Chauhan
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, who held an Academia engagement with think tanks from various nations on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore city, emphasised that India, today, is ahead of Pakistan on all platforms despite greater diversity. General Anil Chauhan said India was able to achieve it due to the country's long-term strategy. During the conflict, India's aerial strikes penetrated deep into Pakistani territory and delivered pinpoint blows to critical enemy infrastructure such as radar systems, control units, and airbases, General Anil Chauhan said, ANI reported. '….you would have seen that most of the strikes were delivered with pinpoint accuracy, some even to a metre, to whatever was our selected mean point of impact,' Gen Chauhan was quoted as saying by Reuters. He said India went on 'seventh, eighth and 10th, and 10th in large numbers, to hit their bases deep inside Pakistan, penetrated all their defences with impunity...' General Anil Chauhan also highlighted the use of indigenous platforms during Operation Sindoor, stating that India has developed its own air defence networking infrastructure without depending on foreign vendors. He said while India used indigenous system, 'Pakistan likely leveraged Chinese sources'. 'Now, on the India-Pakistan relationship, we are not operating without a strategy. When we gained independence, Pakistan was ahead of us on every metric: social, economic, and GDP per capita. Today, India is ahead on all fronts: economic performance, human development, and social harmony, despite our greater diversity. That didn't happen by accident; it's a result of long-term strategy,' he said, ANI quoted. 'Diplomatically, we've reached out like in 2014 when the PM invited Nawaz Sharif. But it takes two hands to clap. If all we get in return is hostility, then disengagement may itself be a sound strategy for now,' CDS Chauhan said in an interview to Reuters. Speaking of the how India used indigenous systems like Akash, Gen Chauhan said, 'While Pakistan likely leveraged Chinese sources, there's no definitive proof of real-time targeting support. India, however, relied on its indigenous systems like Akash, which had notable success in system networking, integrating multiple platforms, including foreign radars, into a cohesive defence system.' "As for space and satellite intelligence, access is commercially available to all. While we rely on our own satellite resources, Pakistan may have leveraged Chinese or Western commercial imagery. I can't confirm whether real-time targeting data was provided to them, but it's plausible they sought help from their allies," he added. CDS highlighted important aspects of Operation Sindoor, including distributed force application, network-centric operations, cyber and disinformation campaigns and intelligence capabilities. 'On our end, we've not only used indigenous platforms like the Akash missile system effectively, but we've also built our own networking infrastructure for air defence without relying on foreign vendors. We've integrated radars from multiple sources into a cohesive network across India, and that was crucial.' 'On defence modernisation, we're moving toward self-reliance. While initially difficult, the process has started through programmes like Atmanirbhar Bharat. We can't rely 100 per cent on foreign elements, especially for networked warfare. We're now seeing the rise of startups, MSMEs and larger industries investing in defence. Our biggest strength? We produce the largest number of STEM graduates in the world, more than 20 IITs. Give them a defence problem and you'll have hundreds working on it. That's an untapped advantage we must channel with focus. I see modern warfare as a convergence of old and new methods, domains, timeframes and tactics. We're no longer fighting linear wars; we're operating across distributed networks, applying force in non-linear ways, where deception is becoming more important than surprise. Understanding this convergence is key to preparing for future conflicts,' ANI quoted him as saying. Speaking of how wars have an impact on a nation's development, CDS Chauhan said, 'From an economic standpoint, I've seen how costly prolonged mobilisations can be. India has remained mobilised for months without engaging in combat, and that imposes a huge financial burden. That's why we disengage swiftly once an operation concludes. We do not seek prolonged wars because they slow down our national development.' (With Reuters, ANI inputs)
NDTV
43 minutes ago
- NDTV
Iran Has Increased Production Of Near Weapons-Grade Uranium: UN Watchdog
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. The IAEA's report indicates Iran's uranium stockpile enriched to 60% has risen to 408.6 kg, raising concerns amid US-Iran nuclear deal talks. Iranian officials deny imminent agreements, while Trump remains optimistic about a potential deal without conflict. The International Atomic Energy Agency's confidential report reveals that Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels has seen a significant surge. As of May 17, the country amassed 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%, marking an increase of 133.8 kilograms since the agency's last report in February. This development comes at a sensitive time especially with the ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington over a possible nuclear deal. The IAEA Director-General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has expressed his concerns, stating that Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state enriching to this level. He urges Tehran to cooperate fully and effectively with the agency. Meanwhile, senior Iranian officials have dismissed speculation about an imminent nuclear deal with the United States, emphasising that any agreement must fully lift sanctions and allow the country's nuclear program to continue. However, Trump said on Friday that he still thinks a deal could be completed in the 'not too distant future.' US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about reaching a deal, stating that Iran would rather make a deal than face potential conflict. Trump said, "They don't want to be blown up. They would rather make a deal... That would be a great thing that we could have a deal without bombs being dropped all over the Middle East." Trump has also warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to not carry out preemptive strikes on Iran's nuclear program while the talks are still ongoing.
