Trump suspends foreign student visas at Harvard University amid national security concerns

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation to student visas for foreigners seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University, the move in the ongoing feud between the White House and the Ivy League school. 

The proclamation directs the State Department to “consider revoking” existing academic or exchange visas of any current Harvard students who meet certain criteria. 

“Admission into the United States to attend, conduct research, or teach at our Nation’s institutions of higher education is a privilege granted by our Government, not a guarantee,” Trump said. “That privilege is necessarily tied to the host institution’s compliance and commitment to following Federal law.  Harvard University has failed in this respect, among many others.”

The proclamation doesn’t apply to foreign nationals attending other universities’ Student Exchange Visa Program (SEVP) and exempts others whose entry is deemed in the national interest.

STATE DEPARTMENT NOW SCRUTINIZING ALL VISA HOLDERS ASSOCIATED WITH HARVARD

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation Wednesday to suspend student visas at Harvard University. (Getty Images)

Last month, the State Department said that it would begin scrutinizing all visa holders associated with Harvard University, not just student visa holders. The investigation is aimed at identifying potential security vulnerabilities or other abuses of the visa system.

Wednesday’s proclamation cited Harvard’s history “concerning foreign ties and radicalism.”

Harvard is suing the Trump administration over its attempts to reign in the university.  (Fox News)

“Harvard has failed to provide sufficient information to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about foreign students’ known illegal or dangerous activities, reporting deficient data on only three students,” it said. 

It said Harvard has also developed “extensive entanglements with foreign adversaries,” while receiving more than $150 million from China alone. 

In exchange, Harvard has “hosted Chinese Communist Party paramilitary members and partnered with China-based individuals on research that could advance China’s military modernization.”

TRUMP SAYS HARVARD’S FOREIGN STUDENTS ARE FROM COUNTRIES PAYING ‘NOTHING’ FOR THEIR EDUCATION

Pro-Palestinian protests at Harvard University.  (Getty Images )

The Trump administration has accused Harvard of failing to stamp out antisemitism on campus, among other issues.  

The proclamation said Harvard has seen a “drastic rise in crime in recent years while failing to discipline at least some categories of conduct violations on campus.”

Harvard officials have said the Trump administration is retaliating against the university with moves to freeze taxpayer-funded research grants, an attempt to revoke its ability to enroll international students, to end its tax-exempt status and to open an investigation into whether it discriminated against white, Asian, male or straight employees or job applicants.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Harvard for comment.