The Trump Administration has ordered U.S. embassies to suspend all student visa processing as part of the president’s efforts to tighten oversight of the country’s higher education system. Donald Trump has launched an aggressive war against top-tier universities, accusing them of harboring antisemitic views and condemning what he calls their “woke” agenda.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed embassy staff on Tuesday to stop setting up appointments for student visa applicants while preparations are made to roll out a new social media vetting procedure, according to a diplomatic cable obtained by Politico. The decision will likely jeopardize the careers of thousands of student aspiring to study in the United States.
Rubio’s Immediate Order
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“Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued septel, which we anticipate in the coming days,” the cable obtained by Politico states.
According to the Open Doors report by the Institute of International Education, the 2023–2024 academic year saw the U.S. welcome a record 1.1 million international students.
Data from NAFSA: Association of International Educators shows these students contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy through tuition, housing, and other living expenses.
Trump has been highly critical of prestigious universities, accusing them of promoting antisemitism and pushing a “woke” agenda. At the beginning of his second term, Trump issued an order to deport international students involved in pro-Hamas demonstrations on American college campuses.
Harvard University has been a primary target of Trump’s ire, but the institution is pushing back and has filed a lawsuit against his administration in response.
On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it had revoked Harvard University’s ability to enroll and host international students.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem sent a letter to the Ivy League university that its thousands of foreign students must either transfer to different universities or leave the United States.
Big Challenge for Harvard University
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Trump has demanded a full list of names and countries of origin for the nearly 7,000 international students currently enrolled at Harvard University. He said that it was unacceptable for 31 percent of the student body at the prestigious Ivy League institution to be “from foreign land.”
In response, Harvard filed a lawsuit on Friday against the Trump administration over the decision to strip the university of its authority to host international students.
In the court filings, the university said that the move would have a “immediate and devastating impact for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders.”
“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,’ Harvard wrote. ‘Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.”
Trump plans to cut the remaining federal contracts with Harvard University, which are valued at around $100 million.
According to a letter obtained by The New York Times, the announcement will be made to federal agencies by the General Services Administration. The letter, set to be sent later on Tuesday, also tells the agencies, “Going forward, we also encourage your agency to seek alternative vendors for future services where you had previously considered Harvard.”
The administration has also frozen roughly $3.2 billion in grants and contracts linked to Harvard, prompting the university to file a lawsuit against the government.
