US President Donald Trump has intensified his confrontation with Harvard University, demanding that the prestigious institution cap its foreign student enrollment and provide the government with detailed information about its international students, as per Al Jazeera.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump criticized Harvard for allowing nearly 31 percent of its student body to be foreign nationals, citing university data that puts the figure closer to 27 percent.
“Harvard has to show us their lists. We want to know where those students come from. Are they troublemakers? What countries do they come from?” Trump said. He proposed a cap of about 15 percent for foreign students, emphasizing that universities should admit “people who are going to love our country.”
The president’s remarks come amid growing pressure from the Trump administration on Harvard to comply with a range of demands, including increased government oversight of its curricula, transparency about foreign students, and cracking down on pro-Palestine student activism, which the administration labels as anti-Semitic.
“Harvard has got to behave themselves. Harvard is treating our country with great disrespect,” Trump added during remarks in the Oval Office.
Harvard has pushed back, accusing the administration of attempting to undermine academic independence and freedom. The university has rejected efforts to allow the government greater control over its curriculum, faculty, and student body.
The administration has cut billions of dollars in federal grants to Harvard and sought to revoke its ability to enroll international students entirely. The Department of Homeland Security justified the move by accusing Harvard of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.”
In response, Harvard condemned the order as part of a “series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence.” The university challenged the order in court, and a judge temporarily blocked the visa restrictions last Friday.
