The U.S. government has intensified its crackdown on international students, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordering an immediate suspension of student visa processing.
The move, revealed in a cable seen by AFP, instructs U.S. embassies and consulates to halt all new student and exchange visa appointments. It is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to target foreign students and universities it deems hostile to American values. “Any additional student or exchange visa… appointment capacity” must cease, the cable states, pending further guidance.
The White House has increasingly linked student protests against the war in Gaza to support for Hamas, which it labels a terrorist organization. As a result, foreign students participating in such demonstrations are being deported and their visas revoked.
President Donald Trump’s administration has also moved to bar Harvard University from admitting international students altogether, rescinding hundreds of student visas and revoking the school’s authorization under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.
The crackdown has triggered outrage and resistance at Harvard, where students rallied Tuesday in protest of what they view as a political assault on academic freedom and diversity. “Trump = traitor” read one placard, while chants of “Who belongs in class today? Let them stay!” echoed across campus. The protest coincided with the university’s commencement week and came just after the administration announced plans to cancel $100 million in financial contracts with the school.
Graduating students and faculty expressed deep concern for their international peers, who now face the possibility of deportation or forced transfers. “All my international friends and peers and professors and researchers are at risk,” said student Alice Goyer. A British history student named Jack questioned whether he would consider continuing his studies in the U.S.: “I don’t know if I’d pursue a PhD here, six years is a long time.”
In defense of the administration’s policy, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News, “The president is more interested in giving that taxpayer money to trade schools… and less [to] LGBTQ graduate majors from Harvard University.” She emphasized a pivot toward vocational and state education programs that the administration believes better promote American values and skills needed in the workforce.
Harvard has launched legal challenges against the sweeping measures, which have included freezing billions in grants and tearing up millions in federal contracts. The university is contesting the revocation of its accreditation to host foreign students—who make up 27 percent of its enrollment—and the abrupt contract cancellations. “The case is so strong that the court system is not going to step to the side and allow this… to go forward,” said Ray Brescia, a law professor at Albany Law School.
In a sign that the legal battle is far from over, alumni have also pledged to file a separate lawsuit on June 9.
Anurima Bhargava, a filmmaker and Harvard alumna, revealed the effort during a virtual meeting hosted by the grassroots group Crimson Courage. Despite mounting legal pressure, Trump remains defiant, labeling some foreign students “radicalized lunatics” and vowing to press on with what critics see as a calculated war against elite educational institutions.
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