Latest news with #LeoGerden
Canada Standard
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Canada Standard
Judge temporarily halts Trump block on foreign students at Harvard
A US judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration's decision to revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll foreign students. The order provides temporary relief to thousands of international students who were faced with being forced to transfer under a policy that the university called a "blatant violation" of the Constitution. A US judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from revoking Harvard University's ability to enroll foreign students, a policy the Ivy League school called part of PresidentDonald Trump's broader effort to retaliate against it for refusing to "surrender its academicindependence". The order provides temporary relief to thousands of international students who were faced with being forced to transfer under a policy that the Cambridge, Massachusetts-baseduniversitycalled a "blatant violation" of the US Constitution and other federal laws, and said would have an "immediate and devastating effect" on the university and more than 7,000 visa holders. "Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard," the 389-year-old school said in its lawsuit filed earlier on Friday in Boston federal court. Harvard enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in its current school year, equal to 27% of total enrollment. The move was the latest escalation in a broader battle between Harvard and theWhite House, as Trump seeks to compel universities,lawfirms, newsmedia, courts and other institutions that value independence from partisanpoliticsto align with his agenda. Trump and fellow Republicans have long accused elite universities of left-wing bias. Harvard has pushed back hard against Trump, having previously sued to restore nearly $3 billion in federal grants that had been frozen or canceled. In recent weeks, the administration has proposed ending Harvard's tax-exempt status and hiking taxes on its endowment, and opened aninvestigationinto whether it violatedcivil rightslaws. Leo Gerden, a Swedish student set to graduate Harvard with an undergraduate degree in economics and government this month, called the judge's ruling a "great first step" but said international students were bracing for a long legal fight that would keep them in limbo. "There is no single decision by Trump or by Harvard or by a judge that is going to put an end to this tyranny of what Trump is doing," Gerden said. Read moreWhy didn't mainstream media report Joe Biden's decline sooner? In its complaint, Harvard said the revocation would force it to retract admissions for thousands of people, and has thrown "countless" academic programs, clinics, courses and research laboratories into disarray, just a few days before graduation. It said the revocation was a punishment for Harvard's "perceived viewpoint", which it called a violation of the right to free speech as guaranteed by the US Constitution's First Amendment. The Trump administration may appeal US District Judge Allison Burroughs' ruling. In a statement, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, "unelected judges have no right to stop the Trump Administration from exercising their rightful control over immigration policy and national security policy. Since Trump's inauguration on January 20, his administration has accused several universities of indifference toward the welfare of Jewish students during widespread campus protests againstIsrael's military campaign in Gaza. Harvard's court challenges over the administration's policies stand in contrast to its New York-based peer Columbia University's concessions to similar pressure. Columbia agreed to reform disciplinary processes and review curricula for courses on theMiddle East, after Trump pulled $400 million in funding over allegations the Ivy League school had not done enough to combat antisemitism. Watch moreUnited States: Gun manufacturers seek new markets targeting kids In announcing on Thursday the termination of Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, effective starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, without providing evidence, accused the university of "fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party". Harvard says a fifth of its foreign students in 2024 were fromChina. US lawmakers from both parties have expressed concerns about the influence of the Chinese government on US college campuses, including efforts by Beijing-directed Chinese student associations to monitor political activities and stifle academic speech. The university says it is committed to combating antisemitism and investigating credible allegations of civil rights violations. Harvard defends 'refusal to surrender' In her brief order blocking the policy for two weeks, Burroughs said Harvard had shown it could be harmed before there was an opportunity to hear the case in full. The judge, an appointee of Democratic former presidentBarack Obama, scheduled hearings for May 27 and May 29 to consider next steps in the case. Burroughs is also overseeing Harvard's lawsuit over the grant funds. Harvard University President Alan Garber said the administration was illegally seeking to assert control over the private university's curriculum, faculty and student body. "The revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence," Garber wrote in a letter on Friday to the Harvard community. The revocation could also weigh on Harvard's finances. At many US universities, international students are more likely to pay full tuition, essentially subsidizing aid for other students. "It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. Harvard's bonds, part of its $8.2 billion debt pile, have been falling since Trump first warned US universities in March of cuts to federal funding. International students enrolled at Harvard include Cleo Carney, daughter of Canadian Prime MinisterMark Carney, and Princess Elisabeth, first in line to the Belgian throne. (FRANCE 24 with Reuters) Originally published on France24
CBS News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Foreign students hope Harvard will fight for them, "it's heartbreaking"
Panic is setting in for Harvard University students coming from abroad, scrambling to find another university and another plan as the Trump administration announced that the Ivy League school can no longer enroll foreign students. "Imagine being an incoming freshman," Harvard senior Leo Gerden told WBZ-TV. "Now you're seeing the news and what's happening, and you might not be able to come. It's heartbreaking." Gerden arrived on Harvard's campus four years ago from Sweden. Getting that acceptance letter was the happiest day of his life. He's excited to graduate next week but said he's sad at the state of the school that he's leaving behind. Harvard students making new plans "People have been making new plans in the last couple of weeks," Gerden explained. "Everyone's going to make a plan B if this goes through, but we hope Harvard will fight for us." This is the latest in the ongoing battle between the White House and Harvard sparked by a series on on-campus protests and rallies. First, the loss of billions of dollars in federal funding and now restrictions on international students. "It smacks of political retaliation and raises constitutional red flags," state Rep. Tram Nguyen said. "It's not just an immigration issue. It's a First Amendment issue." State Rep. calls move "un-American" Rep. Nguyen graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School last year - and calls the move "un-American." "It sends the message that talent isn't welcome here if it comes from abroad. We are an economic driver here in Massachusetts and a lot of that comes from international students and international workers," Nguyen said. A White House spokesperson said Harvard had plenty of opportunities to address the protests, doubling down that enrolling foreign students is a privilege, not a right. Gerden disagrees. "Many international students come because of democracy and come because of the freedom in this country," Gerden said. "There is no university without academic freedom." Data shows that one in four Harvard students come from abroad.
