Signalling the White House will continue to take action against universities that do not abide by its policies, US President Donald Trump said Harvard University will have to change its ways. Trump's comments come after his administration faced backlash for banning foreign admissions at the prestigious university on Friday.
Trump told presspersons, "We will take a look at a lot of things... Harvard will have to change its ways." Trump's comments come after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration's move banning the enrolment of foreign students at the top university.
The Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) certification on Friday, blocking the University's ability to enrol foreign students. The University administration immediately filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, calling the move retaliatory and politically motivated.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on Friday said Harvard University's certification is being removed as it was found promoting anti-American, anti-Jewish and pro-terrorist sentiments in its campus premises. Noem said the action was a "warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country." The DHS revoked Harvsard's certification after it allegedly failed to provide details regarding illegal foreign students on campus, a charge the university administration categorically denied.
Earlier, the Trump administration had frozen grants to the university, affecting its ongoing research programmes.
In a statement on Friday, Harvard University president Alan M. Garber said the lawsuit was a critical step "to protect the rights and opportunities of our international students and scholars, who are vital to the University’s mission and community." The US court will next hear the matter on May 29 and consider whether the temporary order should be extended.
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Earlier, accusing the Trump administration of targeting Harvard University for refusing to "surrender academic independence", Garber condemned the US government for revoking its certification. Garber said, "Harvard did respond to the Department’s requests as required by law."
Close to 7,000 foreign students, including over 700 students from India, study at Harvard University. As per DHS orders, the foreign students were forced to transfer to other universities to retain their non-immigrant status.
