Trump says he’s gonna take away $3 billion from Harvard

Donald Trump announced on Monday that he wants to take $3 billion in federal funding from Harvard University and redirect it to trade schools across the US, calling it “a great investment” in a post on his Truth Social account.

The president accused the school of being overrun by “radicalized lunatics” and said he’s waiting for Harvard to send over lists of international students so the government can figure out which ones shouldn’t be allowed back into the country.

The statement came shortly after US District Judge Allison Burroughs, based in Boston, blocked a move by the Department of Homeland Security to cut Harvard off from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), a federal system that tracks foreign students. That ruling stopped the administration, for now, from stripping the university’s ability to legally enroll non-US students.

Judge halts Trump’s ban on foreign students at Harvard

Harvard had already filed a lawsuit to stop the action. In the legal complaint, the school said Trump’s administration was targeting around a quarter of its student body, referring to international students who, in their view, are essential to the school’s mission.

In a statement posted on X, Harvard said, “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.” Judge Burroughs issued the temporary restraining order on Friday, describing the federal attempt to revoke Harvard’s access to SEVP as both rushed and disruptive. The next court hearing is scheduled for May 29 in Boston.

In a letter circulated to faculty and staff, Harvard President Alan Garber said, “We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action,” adding that the decision was retaliation for Harvard’s refusal to give up control of its faculty, curriculum, and enrollment decisions to the government.

Garber said, “The revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence.”

That didn’t sit well with the White House. Abigail Jackson, the deputy press secretary, released a statement saying, “If only Harvard cared this much about ending the scourge of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators on their campus, they wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with.”

She later criticized the judge’s decision, accusing Burroughs of pursuing a “liberal agenda,” and added, “These unelected judges have no right to stop the Trump Administration from exercising their rightful control over immigration policy and national security policy.”

Students at Harvard fear deportation as legal fight unfolds

By Friday, the Harvard campus had turned into a strange mix of calm and chaos. Classes were over for the semester, and tents were being set up on the quad for commencement ceremonies.

But international students were scrambling. Many of them weren’t even sure if they were allowed to stay in the US or whether they’d be forced to leave immediately.

Cormac Savage, a senior from Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, had just six days left before graduating with a degree in government and languages. He told reporters that he accepted a job in Brussels instead of staying in the US because of how uncertain everything had become.

“You know that you’re fine if you’re still legally in the United States for the next 90 days,” Cormac said, “but you don’t know that you can come back and finish your degree. You don’t know if you can stay and work in the US if you’re about to graduate.”

Rohan Battula, a junior from the UK, said he considered flying home but decided to stay on campus to avoid visa issues. He said, “I was worried if I went home, I wouldn’t get to come back.” His internship in New York starts in June, and the court order gave him some breathing room, but it didn’t remove the risk completely.

“It’s surreal to think that even for some period of time you’re unlawfully staying in a country, just because you’ve been to university there,” Rohan said.

For a group of international students gathered near the Charles River, relief swept in when they heard about Judge Burroughs’ ruling. But most knew the reprieve was temporary. Until May 29, no one’s certain whether they’re staying or getting kicked out.

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