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Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Contributor: Once, international students feared Beijing's wrath. Now Trump is the threat
American universities have long feared that the Chinese government will restrict its country's students from attending institutions that cross Beijing's sensitive political lines. Universities still fear that consequence today, but the most immediate threat is no longer posed by the Chinese government. Now, as the latest punishment meted out to the Trump administration's preeminent academic scapegoat shows, it's our own government posing the threat. In a May 22 letter, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced she revoked Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, meaning the university's thousands of international students must transfer immediately or lose their legal status. Harvard can no longer enroll future international students either. Noem cited Harvard's failure to hand over international student disciplinary records in response to a prior letter and, disturbingly, the Trump administration's desire to 'root out the evils of anti-Americanism' on campus. Among the most alarming demands in this latest missive was that Harvard supply all video of 'any protest activity' by any international student within the last five years. Harvard immediately sued Noem and her department and other agencies, rightfully calling the revocation 'a blatant violation of the First Amendment,' and within hours a judge issued a temporary restraining order against the revocation. 'Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country,' Noem wrote on X about the punishment. And on Tuesday, the administration halted interviews for all new student visas. This is not how a free country treats its schools — or the international visitors who attend them. Noem's warning will, no doubt, be heard loud and clear. That's because universities — which depend on international students' tuition dollars — have already had reason to worry that they will lose access to international students for displeasing censorial government officials. In 2010, Beijing revoked recognition of the University of Calgary's accreditation in China, meaning Chinese students at the Canadian school suddenly risked paying for a degree worth little at home. The reason? The university's granting of an honorary degree to the Dalai Lama the year before. 'We have offended our Chinese partners by the very fact of bringing in the Dalai Lama, and we have work to resolve that issue,' a spokesperson said. Beijing restored recognition over a year later, but many Chinese students had already left. Damage done. Similarly, when UC San Diego hosted the Dalai Lama as commencement speaker in 2017, punishment followed. The China Scholarship Council suspended funding for academics intending to study at UCSD, and an article in the state media outlet Global Times recommended that Chinese authorities 'not recognize diplomas or degree certificates issued by the university.' This kind of direct punishment doesn't happen very frequently. But the threat always exists, and it creates fear that administrators take into account when deciding how their universities operate. American universities now must fear that they will suffer this penalty too, but at an even greater scale: revocation of access not just to students from China, but all international students. That's a huge potential loss. At Harvard, for example, international students make up a whopping 27% of total enrollment. Whether they publicly acknowledge it or not, university leaders probably are considering whether they need to adjust their behavior to avoid seeing international student tuition funds dry up. Will our colleges and universities increase censorship and surveillance of international students? Avoid inviting commencement speakers disfavored by the Trump administration? Pressure academic departments against hiring any professors whose social media comments or areas of research will catch the eye of mercurial government officials? And, equally disturbing, will they be willing to admit that they are now making these calculations at all? Unlike direct punishments by the Trump administration or Beijing, this chilling effect is likely to be largely invisible. Harvard might be able to survive without international students' tuition. But a vast number of other universities could not. The nation as a whole would feel their loss too: In the 2023-24 academic year, international students contributed a record-breaking $43.8 billion to the American economy. And these students — who have uprooted their lives for the promise of what American education offers — are the ones who will suffer the most, as they experience weeks or months of panic and upheaval while being used as pawns in this campaign to punish higher ed. If the Trump administration is seeking to root out 'anti-Americanism,' it can begin by surveying its own behavior in recent months. Freedom of expression is one of our country's most cherished values. Censorship, surveillance and punishment of government critics do not belong here. Sarah McLaughlin is senior scholar on global expression at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and author of the forthcoming book 'Authoritarians in the Academy: How the Internationalization of Higher Education and Borderless Censorship Threaten Free Speech.' If it's in the news right now, the L.A. Times' Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Once, international students feared Beijing's wrath. Now Trump is the threat
American universities have long feared that the Chinese government will restrict its country's students from attending institutions that cross Beijing's sensitive political lines. Universities still fear that consequence today, but the most immediate threat is no longer posed by the Chinese government. Now, as the latest punishment meted out to the Trump administration's preeminent academic scapegoat shows, it's our own government posing the threat. In a May 22 letter, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced she revoked Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, meaning the university's thousands of international students must transfer immediately or lose their legal status. Harvard can no longer enroll future international students either. Noem cited Harvard's failure to hand over international student disciplinary records in response to a prior letter and, disturbingly, the Trump administration's desire to 'root out the evils of anti-Americanism' on campus. Among the most alarming demands in this latest missive was that Harvard supply all video of 'any protest activity' by any international student within the last five years. Harvard immediately sued Noem and her department and other agencies, rightfully calling the revocation 'a blatant violation of the First Amendment,' and within hours a judge issued a temporary restraining order against the revocation. 'Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country,' Noem wrote on X about the punishment. And on Tuesday, the administration halted interviews for all new student visas. This is not how a free country treats its schools — or the international visitors who attend them. Noem's warning will, no doubt, be heard loud and clear. That's because universities — which depend on international students' tuition dollars — have already had reason to worry that they will lose access to international students for displeasing censorial government officials. In 2010, Beijing revoked recognition of the University of Calgary's accreditation in China, meaning Chinese students at the Canadian school suddenly risked paying for a degree worth little at home. The reason? The university's granting of an honorary degree to the Dalai Lama the year before. 'We have offended our Chinese partners by the very fact of bringing in the Dalai Lama, and we have work to resolve that issue,' a spokesperson said. Beijing restored recognition over a year later, but many Chinese students had already left. Damage done. Similarly, when UC San Diego hosted the Dalai Lama as commencement speaker in 2017, punishment followed. The China Scholarship Council suspended funding for academics intending to study at UCSD, and an article in the state media outlet Global Times recommended that Chinese authorities 'not recognize diplomas or degree certificates issued by the university.' This kind of direct punishment doesn't happen very frequently. But the threat always exists, and it creates fear that administrators take into account when deciding how their universities operate. American universities now must fear that they will suffer this penalty too, but at an even greater scale: revocation of access not just to students from China, but all international students. That's a huge potential loss. At Harvard, for example, international students make up a whopping 27% of total enrollment. Whether they publicly acknowledge it or not, university leaders probably are considering whether they need to adjust their behavior to avoid seeing international student tuition funds dry up. Will our colleges and universities increase censorship and surveillance of international students? Avoid inviting commencement speakers disfavored by the Trump administration? Pressure academic departments against hiring any professors whose social media comments or areas of research will catch the eye of mercurial government officials? And, equally disturbing, will they be willing to admit that they are now making these calculations at all? Unlike direct punishments by the Trump administration or Beijing, this chilling effect is likely to be largely invisible. Harvard might be able to survive without international students' tuition. But a vast number of other universities could not. The nation as a whole would feel their loss too: In the 2023-24 academic year, international students contributed a record-breaking $43.8 billion to the American economy. And these students — who have uprooted their lives for the promise of what American education offers — are the ones who will suffer the most, as they experience weeks or months of panic and upheaval while being used as pawns in this campaign to punish higher ed. If the Trump administration is seeking to root out 'anti-Americanism,' it can begin by surveying its own behavior in recent months. Freedom of expression is one of our country's most cherished values. Censorship, surveillance and punishment of government critics do not belong here. Sarah McLaughlin is senior scholar on global expression at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and author of the forthcoming book 'Authoritarians in the Academy: How the Internationalization of Higher Education and Borderless Censorship Threaten Free Speech.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump admin tells US embassies to halt student visa interviews
The Trump administration directed U.S. embassies and consulates around the world Tuesday to halt scheduling visa interviews for international students as it weighs expanding 'social media screening and vetting' for applicants. A White House official told NewsNation that the Trump administration has ordered U.S. embassies to temporarily stop scheduling new student visa appointments. The State Department issued an internal cable Tuesday, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating that 'effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued [separate telegram], which we anticipate in the coming days,' multiple outlets reported. The Hill has reached out to the State Department for comment. The development could lead to delays in processing student visas and hamper colleges and universities that depend on payments from international students. 'The department is conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor visa applicants,' the State Department said in the cable. Earlier this year, the administration revoked thousands of international students' visas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement later restored more than 1,500 foreign student visa registrations in its reporting system. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) moved to terminate Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Program, therefore barring the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the international students at Harvard would need to transfer to another institution or risk jeopardizing their legal status. The order was later temporarily blocked by U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs. The cable, reports indicate, says that if the expanding screening procedures are enacted, it might have 'potentially significant implications for consular section operations, processes and resource allocations.' As a result, the consular sections, which issue visas, 'will need to take into consideration the workload requirements of each case prior to scheduling them going forward.' This story was updated at 6:08 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump admin tells US embassies to halt student visa interviews: Reports
The Trump administration directed U.S. embassies and consulates around the world on Tuesday to halt scheduling visa interviews for international students as it weighs expanding 'social media screening and vetting' for applicants. The State Department issued an internal cable on Tuesday, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating that 'effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued [separate telegram], which we anticipate in the coming days,' multiple outlets reported. The Hill has reached out to the State Department for comment. The development could lead to delays in processing student visas and hamper colleges and universities that depend on payments from international students. 'The department is conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor visa applicants,' the State Department said in the cable. Earlier this year, the administration revoked thousands of international students' visas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) later restored over 1,500 foreign student visa registrations in its reporting system. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) moved to terminate Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Program, therefore barring the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the international students at Harvard would need to transfer to another institution or risk jeopardizing their legal status. The order was later temporarily blocked by U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs. The cable, per reports, says that if the expanding screening procedures are enacted, it might have 'potentially significant implications for consular section operations, processes and resource allocations.' As a result, the consular sections, which issue visas, 'will need to take into consideration the workload requirements of each case prior to scheduling them going forward.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump planning to sever remaining federal contracts with Harvard
President Trump is instructing federal agencies to identify and sever remaining contracts with Harvard University, further tightening the screws in the fight with the Ivy League institution. The letter from the General Services Administration (GSA) asks all federal agencies to help in a review to terminate or transition federal government contracts with Harvard and its affiliates. A copy of the letter was shared with The Hill by a source familiar with the matter. The letter accuses Harvard of engaging in racial discrimination, justifying the termination of contracts. 'As relevant here, GSA understands that Harvard continues to engage in race discrimination, including in its admissions process and in other areas of student life,' the letter states, pointing to statistics on Harvard's enrollment. It also accused Harvard of discrimination in its hiring and promotion and of 'anti-Semitic' actions, an apparent reference to pro-Palestinian protests. 'Harvard's ongoing inaction in the face of repeated and severe harassment and targeting of its students has at times grounded day-to-day campus operations to a halt, deprived Jewish students of learning and research opportunities to which they are entitled, and profoundly alarmed the general public,' it stated. Josh Gruenbaum, the commissioner of the GSA's Federal Acquisition Service, signed the letter. 'We recommend that your agency terminate for convenience each contract that it determines has failed to meet its standards, and transition to a new vendor those contracts that could be better serviced by an alternative counterparty,' Gruenbaum wrote. 'Going forward, we also encourage your agency to seek alternative vendors for future services where you had previously considered Harvard,' he added. The Hill has reached out to Harvard for comment. The development marks a continuation of the administration's war with the elite school. The federal government has terminated nearly $3 billion in grants to Harvard, saying the school has not done enough to combat antisemitism on campus and 'race discrimination.' It also comes after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification to be revoked last week, therefore preventing the school from enrolling international students. Harvard sued the Trump administration in response. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs temporarily blocked the Homeland Security action Friday. Trump wrote Monday that he is considering taking $3 billion of grant money from the Ivy League school and giving it to trade schools around the country. In the Oval Office Friday, the president said, 'Harvard's going to have to change its ways.' Harvard became the primary target of the administration after it refused to bow to demands to change its hiring and admissions policies, as well as eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs on campus. University President Alan Garber warned the funding cuts to Harvard will have devastating effects to the entire country, stifling medical and technological advances. 'Indiscriminately slashing medical, scientific, and technological research undermines the nation's ability to save American lives, foster American success, and maintain America's position as a global leader in innovation,' Garber said. While Harvard has been on the front line of the higher education fight, Trump has made clear these are also warning shots for other universities. 'We're taking a look at a lot of things,' he said when asked if he was also considering taking away the ability of other schools to accept foreign students. Updated at 9:56 a.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
