President Donald Trump has raised concerns over the lack of financial contributions from foreign governments towards the education of their students attending prestigious U.S. institutions like Harvard University. The criticism comes as part of the ongoing conflict between the Trump administration and Harvard University over student visa policies.
In a post on Truth Social early Sunday morning, Trump questioned why Harvard does not address the fact that nearly 31% of its students are from foreign countries. He emphasized that many of these countries, which he claims are “not at all friendly to the United States,” contribute nothing towards the education of their students studying in the U.S.
Trump’s remarks reflect his long-standing criticism of foreign students in the U.S. educational system, and in his post, he also pointed out that Harvard University receives substantial funding from the U.S. government, raising the question of how foreign students impact American taxpayers.
The controversy escalated when the Trump administration moved to revoke Harvard’s ability to enroll international students, citing concerns over national security and financial transparency. This dispute led to Harvard filing a lawsuit to prevent the cancellation of its student visa program. On Friday, a judge temporarily blocked the government’s move, halting any immediate action against the university.
Harvard argues that such a policy would severely affect more than 7,000 foreign students—almost a quarter of its student body—and is a direct violation of the First Amendment and Due Process Clause.
According to Fox News, Harvard described the government’s action as retaliation for the university’s refusal to accept government influence over its curriculum and the ideological freedom of its faculty and students. Harvard’s legal team labeled the government’s actions as a “blatant violation” of constitutional rights.
Amid the legal battle, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had sought extensive records from Harvard regarding student visa holders. These records included footage of any protest activity involving foreign students, even if it wasn’t criminal, along with disciplinary records from the past five years.
The DHS had requested information on any illegal or violent activity tied to student visa holders, citing national security concerns. However, Harvard opposed the request, calling the policy “pernicious” and accusing the government of disrupting settled practices without justification.
What are your thoughts on the Trump administration’s actions against Harvard and the role of foreign students in U.S. universities? Drop your comments below — we’d love to hear your opinion on this ongoing issue!
Trump also criticized the university for not being transparent about its foreign student body. In his Truth Social post, he reiterated that Harvard should disclose who these foreign students are, particularly since the government has provided billions in funding to the institution.
“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,” Trump added.
The Trump administration has already frozen around $3 billion in federal funding to Harvard, much of which is dedicated to research. The freeze is based on accusations that the university has failed to properly address allegations of campus antisemitism and has not taken action to curb diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
At least a dozen Harvard students have had their student visas revoked due to their involvement in campus protests. In a statement to Congress, Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that thousands of student visas may have already been revoked, with more expected.
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