Trump Targets Harvard, International Students and Tax Perks at Risk/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Trump administration is threatening to revoke Harvard’s ability to host international students and eliminate its tax-exempt status amid intensifying political conflict. Officials have frozen more than $2 billion in federal funding and demanded sweeping reforms, accusing Harvard of harboring antisemitism and promoting “woke” ideology. Harvard has refused to comply, igniting a national debate on free speech, diversity, and federal oversight in higher education.
Trump Administration vs. Harvard – Quick Looks
- Department of Homeland Security demands Harvard turn over visa records by April 30.
- Two federal grants totaling $2.7 million to Harvard have been canceled.
- The White House froze over $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts.
- President Trump calls for revoking Harvard’s nonprofit tax-exempt status.
- Harvard’s President Alan Garber says the university will not comply.
- The federal government demands overhauls to admissions, leadership, and club recognition.
- Trump adviser Christopher Rufo calls for total defunding of Ivy League schools.
- Columbia University signals resistance to some federal mandates after Harvard’s stance.
- The administration’s focus includes antisemitism and perceived pro-Palestinian bias on campuses.
- International students, who make up 27% of Harvard’s enrollment, may be forced to leave.
Federal Crackdown on Harvard Intensifies Over Immigration, Funding, and Campus Ideology
DEEP LOOKS
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration has escalated its confrontation with Harvard University, threatening to strip the institution of its tax-exempt status, block it from enrolling international students, and withhold billions in federal funds. The aggressive measures are part of a broader campaign targeting universities that officials accuse of promoting antisemitism, radical activism, and liberal ideological agendas.
On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a formal request to Harvard, demanding that it submit “detailed records” of any international students allegedly involved in “illegal and violent activities.” The deadline for compliance is April 30.
International students make up more than a quarter of Harvard’s student body, and the move could severely impact the school’s operations and global standing.
Trump Calls for Tax Status Revocation
Also Tuesday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, calling for Harvard’s tax-exempt status to be revoked unless the university complies with administration demands. Trump accused Harvard of promoting “terrorist-inspired” ideology and claimed the school fosters “political sickness.”
The rhetoric comes amid broader Republican efforts to reassert control over institutions seen as resistant to conservative values.
Funding Frozen, Reforms Demanded
The administration has frozen more than $2.2 billion in multi-year research grants, along with $60 million in existing contracts. Two smaller grants totaling $2.7 million have already been canceled.
A letter sent Friday to Harvard President Alan Garber outlined additional federal demands:
- A complete audit of campus diversity policies.
- An overhaul of admissions criteria and leadership appointments.
- An immediate suspension of certain student clubs.
- Tougher discipline of protesters, particularly those supporting pro-Palestinian causes.
- Stricter screening of international students for potential ideological threats.
Harvard Refuses to Comply
President Alan Garber responded publicly Monday, affirming that Harvard would not comply with the federal demands. Hours later, the White House confirmed the massive freeze in funding.
“Harvard is committed to academic freedom, open dialogue, and our core educational mission,” Garber said. “We will not abandon those principles under political pressure.”
Conservative Strategists Push for More
Leading conservative voices have urged the administration to go further. Christopher Rufo, a key Trump ally and critic of higher education institutions, said the government should completely defund Harvard and revoke tax privileges for all Ivy League universities that resist the administration’s policies.
“Trump needs to follow through,” Rufo posted Tuesday. “Cut the funding and watch the university implode.”
Rufo cited events such as graduation ceremonies for specific ethnic groups and theater performances intended for Black-identifying audiences only as examples of alleged discrimination against white and Asian American students.
National Fallout and Ivy League Resistance
The conflict is already having a ripple effect. At Columbia University, where the administration first initiated its campaign, university leaders initially cooperated. However, after Harvard’s public defiance, Columbia’s interim president Claire Shipman appeared to change course.
“Some demands are not subject to negotiation,” she wrote in a campus-wide message Monday. “I read Harvard’s response with great interest.”
The administration has stated that the crackdown is focused in part on rising antisemitism on campuses, linking the issue to pro-Palestinian demonstrations and what officials call “hostility to American values.”
A Broader Political Strategy
The confrontation with Harvard is part of the Trump administration’s larger attempt to reshape higher education policy. Universities have increasingly become targets of conservative criticism for their handling of speech, protest, and identity politics.
Trump has pledged to defund institutions that “indoctrinate rather than educate” and has called for greater federal oversight of schools that receive public funding.
Harvard’s resistance may set the tone for similar standoffs across the academic landscape, as other universities weigh whether to comply or stand their ground.
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