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Harvard University said it would not “submit its independence” and was pushed against the US government after Donald Trump’s administration threatened to cancel its foreign students’ visas.
Ivy League University was blocked in government demands a day after the president began an action to begin his removal of his tax exempt status, escalating a stand with one of the country’s most August institutions.
In discussions at dinner with a group of pastors on Wednesday evening, the US president said no final decision was made to change Harvard’s tax status.
But he clashed again at the university, calling it a “shame”. He added: “They are obviously anti -Semitic, and all of a sudden they are starting to behave.”
Harvard on Thursday said that “it will not submit its independence or renounce its constitutional rights” and stated: “We will continue to respect the law and expect the administration to do the same.”
The reaction followed a statement from Kristi Noem, the internal security secretary, late Wednesday, in which she canceled two grants reaching $ 2.7 million and said that by the end of April Harvard should present detailed data on “illegal and violent activities of his students’ holders” or removed from his student and student activities.
Noem said: “Harvard bending the knee towards anti -Semitism – driven by his spin -free lead – feeds a cesspool of extremist unrest and threatens our national security.”
She claimed that “anti-American, pro-Hamas ideology” was “poisoning” of the campus and university classes, adding that “Harvard’s position as a high learning institution is a distant memory”.
The University said: “Harvard values the rule of law and expects all members of our community to respect university policies and applicable legal standards. If federal actions have been taken against a member of our community, we expect it to be based on clear evidence, to follow the legal procedures and respect the constitutional rights permitted for all individuals.”
The threat to visas marks a fresh pressure point following the $ 2.2 billion suspension on federal grants this week after Harvard’s refusal for the White House demands for the government’s close supervision for its operations.
He also reflects the broader calls from Trump and some of his officials to declare war on the country’s elite universities.
However, the threat will foster the tensions within the government among the Maga populists calling for stronger controls on all immigration entrepreneurs and Silicon Valley, including Elon Musk who support H-1B visas for highly capable foreign immigrants. H-1B visas are usually issued to international students who choose to stay in the US after completing their studies in the country.
Fiona Hill, Chancellor of Durham University in the UK and a member of the Harvard Supervisor Board, said: “This is the end of the golden age of the American University.”
An alliance of US university networks earlier this month warned that 1MN international students participated in the country’s colleges and universities and contributed about $ 43.8 billion in the economy during the 2023-24 academic year.
The concern has increased about hundreds of foreign students at the US Visa to have been revoked in recent weeks. Dozens of international students have been detained by immigration officials since Trump took office.
