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Trump steps up attacks on Harvard as federal court blocks move to strip international students' visas

Published: 26 May. 2025, 18:08

U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledges reporters as he disembarks Marine One upon arrival on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on May 25. [AP/YONHAP]

U.S. President Donald Trump has resumed his attacks on Harvard University after a federal court blocked a sweeping move to strip international students of their U.S. visas. Citing a campaign against antisemitism, Trump’s renewed pressure is stirring anxiety across the U.S. higher education sector, where institutions are unsure where the next blow might land.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday before departing his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, for the White House, Trump said, “Look, part of the problem with Harvard is that, they are about 31 percent, almost 31 percent of foreigners coming to Harvard.”

He complained about the U.S. government giving students “billions of dollars,” calling it “ridiculous.”

“They [Harvard] refuse to tell us who the people are,” Trump added. “We want to know the people.”

Earlier the same day, Trump asked on social media, “Why isn’t Harvard saying that almost 31 percent 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.

“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. We want those names and countries.”

The Trump administration had previously demanded policy changes at universities to curb campus antisemitism and sought a role in campus personnel decisions — moves Harvard said infringed on academic freedom.

The government responded by threatening to freeze or cut federal funding and revoke tax exemptions. Last Thursday, it went further, canceling Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, effectively disqualifying it from enrolling foreign students.

Harvard filed for an emergency injunction the next morning, and a court granted the request, pausing the enforcement.

Students walk on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 23. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

But the administration’s pressure campaign has already unsettled academia. The New York Times (NYT) wrote that it would cause “immediate and irreparable injury” and “destabilize” Harvard.

According to the NYT, while international students comprise just over 5 percent of the overall U.S. college population, the figures are much higher at top-tier schools. At New York University, one in three of its roughly 60,000 students is international. At Columbia University, the rate is two in five.

Harvard’s Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs reported that for the 2024-25 academic year, 6,793 international students are enrolled, comprising 27.2 percent of the total student body. Among them are 252 Korean nationals, both undergraduate and graduate students. The number of Korean researchers was reported at 182.

Last October, Harvard disclosed the top countries of origin for its international students, listing China first, followed by Canada, India, Korea and Britain.

The Washington Post reported that more than 1 million international students attend U.S. colleges every year, “bringing billions of dollars to the American economy and bolstering the nation’s science and technology sectors.”

According to Nafsa: Association of International Educators, international students added about $44 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2023-24 academic year through tuition, housing, transportation and related expenses. Harvard students alone were estimated to have contributed $384 million to the local economy in that period.

NAFSA executive director Fanta Aw told the Washington Post that international students are “involved in cutting-edge research, in helping startups,” and are “probably our strongest bridges to other countries.”

While the Trump administration claims its crackdown is meant to fight antisemitism, many leading universities view it as part of a broader “culture war” against progressive policies like diversity, equity and inclusion.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth addressed her campus on Thursday, calling the situation “a grave moment.” She said the federal move to bar Harvard from enrolling international students was “devastating for American excellence, openness and ingenuity,” and added, “For now, to our international students, let me say: MIT would not be MIT without you.”

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell attends a press conference following a two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee on interest rate policy in Washington on May 7. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, a Princeton alumnus, echoed that sentiment during a commencement speech at his alma mater on Sunday.

“Our great universities are the envy of the world and a crucial national asset,” he said. “When you look back in 50 years, you will want to know that you have done whatever it takes to preserve and strengthen our democracy, and bring us ever closer to the Founders’ timeless ideals.”

Though Powell did not mention Trump directly, his emphasis on defending democracy came as Princeton too had its federal funding withdrawn — and as Powell himself faces political pressure from Trump to lower interest rates.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM HYOUNG-GU [[email protected]]