72 hours, 6 demands: What Trump administration wants from Harvard to keep foreign students

Six demands, 72 hours

The six demands include the submission of all records — official or informal — regarding:

📌Any illegal, dangerous, or violent activities by non-immigrant students over the last five years: Any and all records, whether official or informal, in the possession of Harvard University, including electronic records and audio or video footage, regarding illegal activity, whether on or off campus, by a non-immigrant student in the last five years.

📌Threats to students or university personnel: Any and all records in the possession of Harvard University, including electronic records and audio or video footage, regarding threats to other students or university personnel, whether on or off campus, by a non-immigrant student in the last five years.

📌Deprivation of rights of others by non-immigrant students: Any and all records in the possession of Harvard University, including electronic records and audio or video footage, regarding deprivation of rights of other classmates or university personnel, whether on or off campus, by a non-immigrant student enrolled in the last five years

📌Disciplinary actions against foreign students: Any and all disciplinary records of all non-immigrant students enrolled in the last five years.

📌Audio or video footage of any protest activity involving international students: Any and all audio or video footage in the possession of Harvard University of any protest activity involving a non-immigrant student on a Harvard University campus in the last five years.

📌Any such incidents specifically involving students from foreign nations, including those coordinated with foreign entities.

“If Harvard would like the opportunity of regaining Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification before the upcoming academic school year, you must provide all of the information within 72 hours,” the Trump administration said in its official notice.

The move affects over 6,000 international students currently enrolled at Harvard, who make up nearly 27.3 per cent of the student body. According to the university, 788 of those students are from India.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X (Twitter) that the administration is “holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.”

“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enrol foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused,” she wrote.

Harvard hit back, calling the action “unlawful” and “retaliatory.”

“This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” said spokesperson Jason Newton. “We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community.”

Lawsuit

Harvard University announced on Friday morning that it was challenging the Trump administration’s decision to bar the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students, calling it unconstitutional retaliation for the school previously defying the White House’s political demands.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston, Harvard said the government’s action violates the first amendment of the US constitution and will have an “immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders”.

“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the university and its mission,” Harvard said in its suit. The institution added that it plans to file for a temporary restraining order to block the Department of Homeland Security from carrying out the move.