Harvard visa investigation opened by Trump administration
The Trump administration has announced an investigation into Harvard University over its eligibility to sponsor certain visas. The State Department had not specified any alleged violations in its letter to the university, only noting that participants in the Exchange Visitor Programme, allowing foreigners to temporarily enter the US, “are required to fully comply with exchange visitor regulations.”
Harvard said that the investigation is “yet another retaliatory step” from the Trump Administration “in violation” of its First Amendment rights. The university had previously sued over attempts to remove its federal funding and its ability to host foreign academics.
The Exchange Visitor Programme is designed to promote cultural and educational opportunities for foreign applicants. Applications can come from a wide array of people including physicians and interns. They are often sponsored by universities or other educational institutions.
“Visa sponsorship is a privilege, and sponsors whose conduct tarnishes our nation’s interests will lose that privilege,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X.
The president’s administration has also accused Harvard of failing to tackle antisemitism on campus, seeking to restrict funding and visas for the university. In the spring, it saw its ability to host academics and students via a different programme, the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) temporarily revoked by Washington.
It sued the government, alleging that it had violated its free speech rights under the first amendment. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the administration’s order while the case is ongoing.
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