Trump is fiercely contesting Harvard's list of international students, threatening further funding cuts.

WASHINGTON, May 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday again threatened to cut funding to Harvard University, saying the federal government would consider cutting billion in funding for the university and allocating the funds to vocational schools across the country if Harvard did not submit its list of foreign students.

Forcing Harvard to hand over the list of foreign students

Trump posted on the social media platform Real Social that he was considering taking billion in funding from the “very anti-Semitic” Harvard University and distributing it to vocational schools across the country.

In another post, Trump stated that the federal government is still awaiting a list of foreign students from Harvard University to determine how many “radical lunatics and troublemakers” should not be allowed to re-enter the United States. He added that Harvard has been “very slow” in providing these documents.

The day before, Trump demanded that Harvard University submit the "names and nationalities" of all its international students. He posted on social media, "We must have the identities of these foreign students, and given the billions of dollars the federal government allocates to Harvard each year, this request is perfectly reasonable."

Trump also said on another occasion that Harvard University has "too many" international students, which will squeeze out some American students who want to attend Harvard.

Why target Harvard?

Since returning to the White House, Trump has launched attacks on several American universities, claiming that if they do not adjust their policies, they will face funding cuts. The Trump administration's main demands include eradicating anti-Semitism on campus and abolishing diversity policies that favor minority groups. American public opinion generally believes that the Trump administration is specifically targeting universities like Harvard, because Republicans consider these universities strongholds of left-wing liberals or Democrats.

With billions of dollars frozen, its tax-exempt status in jeopardy, and multiple investigations looming, Harvard University is facing an unprecedented crisis. On September 22, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the revocation of Harvard University's student and exchange scholar program accreditation, prohibiting the university from enrolling international students. This is the latest move by the Trump administration to crack down on Harvard University.

The Harvard University campus is pictured in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 24. (Photo by Zhu Ziyu/Xinhua)

According to Harvard University data, as of the fall semester of 2023, international students comprised more than 27% of the university's total student body. Currently, Harvard University enrolls nearly 6,800 international students and scholars from over 140 countries and regions, the majority of whom are pursuing graduate studies.

A firsthand look at Harvard University under the "admission ban"

Over the past weekend, Xinhua News Agency reporters found during interviews on the Harvard campus that the federal government's policy of banning Harvard University from enrolling international students has sparked shock and anger. Although Harvard has filed a lawsuit against the federal government, and a judge in the Massachusetts federal district court has temporarily halted the ban, the signal sent by this policy still sends chills down the spines of many international students studying in the United States or planning to study there.

An anonymous history PhD student from Canada told reporters that his first reaction to the U.S. government ban was "anger, but also nervousness. I was nervous about my own situation, but angry at the U.S. government."

“This is absolutely absurd,” the Canadian student said, adding that he now has to consider several alternatives. “If I lose my visa, the best-case scenario is that I can get a new visa through sponsorship from another American university, which would at least allow me to stay in the United States and continue my studies. If the situation deteriorates to an irreversible point, I will transfer to another country to complete my studies.”

James, a statistics PhD student from Australia, declined to give his full name. He told reporters that when he heard the news, "I wasn't even sure if we were living in the real world or if I was dreaming." This is not the behavior of a rational government at all; "It's insane."

James believes that even if Harvard's accreditation to admit international students is not ultimately revoked, the uncertainty the policy creates for the future has already "caused damage."

Wang Yuefeng, a Chinese student about to graduate from the Kennedy School of Government, told reporters that although there had been some warning signs beforehand, he was still "somewhat shocked" when he heard the news. The federal government's freezing of funding and cuts to funding were aimed at the schools, but "this time it very precisely hit the students."

“Undergraduates can still transfer schools, and their professional channels are relatively open. However, for master’s and doctoral students, if they want to transfer to other schools and follow another supervisor, it basically means that they have to reapply and start their previous academic research from scratch,” Wang Yuefeng said. “Everyone should prepare for the worst-case scenario.”