The move comes after Trump accused Harvard of promoting anti-Semitic ideas and allowing foreign students to become radicalized. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in an official statement that Harvard will be required to produce all immigration-related records, communications and documents to the court starting January 1, 2020. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin says that institutions like Harvard are protecting foreign students who support violence and terrorism on campus.
Not only that, the Trump administration also tried to cut off federal funding for Harvard, cancel visas for foreign students, and ban them from entering the United States, which has been temporarily blocked by the court. Harvard University currently relies on 27 percent of its students from abroad, which is financially important for the university. While other institutions like Columbia University have bowed to Trump’s demands, Harvard has so far maintained resistance. It should be remembered that there were large demonstrations in support of Palestine against Israel’s attacks on Gaza on the Harvard campus, which were attended by a large number of foreign students.