Trump admin investigates Harvard eligibility for foreign scholar visa programme
The Ivy League school has faced mounting sanctions and scrutiny from Washington since rejecting demands from an antisemitism task force
In the latest in a series of Trump administration inquiries targeting Harvard University, the US State Department said on Wednesday that it was investigating whether the Ivy League school would remain part of a government programme that provides American visas for students and researchers from other countries.
Harvard has faced mounting sanctions and scrutiny from Washington since rejecting demands from a federal antisemitism task force in April.
Harvard has filed a lawsuit challenging US$2.6 billion in federal cuts and has accused the Republican administration of waging a retaliation campaign.
The statement from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not say why his department was examining Harvard’s eligibility to take part in the Exchange Visitor Programme, which allows foreign nationals to study or work in the United States through cultural and education exchange programmes.
It said all sponsors, such as Harvard, “are required to fully comply with exchange visitor regulations, transparency in reporting, and a demonstrated commitment to fostering the principles of cultural exchange and mutual understanding upon which the programme was founded”.
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Harvard spokesman Jason Newton said the investigation was “another retaliatory step” taken by the administration.