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Feds threaten to take away Harvard University’s ability to enroll foreign students

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The battle between the Trump Administration and the country’s oldest higher learning institution continues to escalate.

On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) threatened to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll foreign students if the school doesn’t comply with their demands.

Secretary Kristi Noem sent a letter to Harvard demanding detailed records of “foreign student visa holders’ illegal and violent activities” to be turned over by April 30.

Should the school refuse, Noem says Harvard will lose their Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification and “will lose the privilege of enrolling foreign students.”

“Harvard bending the knee to antisemitism — driven by its spineless leadership — fuels a cesspool of extremist riots and threatens our national security,” said Secretary Noem. “With anti-American, pro-Hamas ideology poisoning its campus and classrooms, Harvard’s position as a top institution of higher learning is a distant memory.”

According to the DHS website, the SEVP ensures that government agencies have essential data related to nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors to preserve national security.

Noem also canceled two DHS grants to Harvard totaling more than $2.7 million, saying in part the school is unfit to be entrusted with taxpayer money.

The grants included $800,303 for the Implementation Science for Targeted Violence Prevention grant, which Noem claims ran a “shockingly skewed study” that branded conservatives as “far-right dissidents.”

The other canceled grant was for $1,934,902, which Noem says fueled Harvard’s “public health propaganda.”

In a statement, Harvard University said they will not relinquish their constitutional rights or surrender their independence to federal oversight.

“Harvard values the rule of law and expects all members of our community to comply with University policies and applicable legal standards,” the statement read. “If federal action is taken against a member of our community, we expect it will be based on clear evidence, follow established legal procedures, and respect the constitutional rights afforded to all individuals...We will continue to comply with the law and expect the Administration to do the same.”

The threat and cancellations come after reports that Harvard’s tax-exempt status could be in jeopardy.

“With a $53.2 billion endowment, Harvard can fund its own chaos—DHS won’t,” Noem said.

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