Trump Defends Blocking Foreign Students at Harvard Amid Legal Battle

 Washington, D.C. | May 25, 2025 — President Donald Trump has staunchly defended his administration’s controversial decision to block Harvard University from enrolling foreign students, even after a federal judge temporarily suspended the action, which the university has denounced as unlawful.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, President Trump questioned the financial arrangements surrounding international students at the Ivy League institution.
“Why isn’t Harvard saying that almost 31% of their students are from FOREIGN LANDS, and yet those countries, some not at all friendly to the United States, pay NOTHING toward their student’s education, nor do they ever intend to,” he wrote.
“We want to know who those foreign students are, a reasonable request since we give Harvard BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, but Harvard isn’t exactly forthcoming.”

The president’s comments follow a major escalation in tensions between the federal government and American universities. On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign nationals, citing national security concerns and a lack of transparency regarding student visa records.

Noem had previously threatened to take such action unless the university provided detailed records on visa holders allegedly involved in “illegal and violent activities.”

Harvard responded by filing a lawsuit to challenge what it called an “arbitrary, capricious, unlawful, and unconstitutional action.” A federal judge swiftly granted a temporary suspension of the government’s decision, allowing international students to remain enrolled while the legal process unfolds.

The move places thousands of students—and a significant portion of Harvard’s tuition revenue—under a cloud of uncertainty. It also marks a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on U.S. higher education institutions, many of which have come under fire for their handling of campus protests and diversity initiatives.

The White House has framed its actions as a response to “uncontrolled antisemitism” and a failure by universities to curb extremism and lawlessness. In recent months, the administration has also targeted foreign students involved in anti-Israel demonstrations, with immigration officials revoking visas and initiating deportations for individuals accused of “supporting the Hamas terror group.”

Critics argue that the administration’s policies represent an overreach into academic freedom and international diplomacy. However, Trump and his allies maintain that the measures are necessary to ensure national security and financial accountability from elite institutions that receive substantial federal funding.

The dispute now heads into a contentious legal phase, with implications that could reverberate throughout the American higher education system and beyond.