Trump suspends entry to Harvard's international students

The latest: "This is yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard's First Amendment rights," a spokesperson for the college said in a Wednesday night emailed statement.

• "Harvard will continue to protect its international students."

Driving the news: Trump issued a suspension and ordered cabinet officials to determine whether international students at Harvard who are in the U.S. should have their student visas revoked.

• The suspension was expected to last at least 90 days, per the order that came shortly after he issued a proclamation banning the entry of people from a dozen countries.
• Trump ordered cabinet officials to submit a recommendation within 90 days on whether the suspension should be extended or renewed.

What they're saying: Trump claimed Harvard has obstructed the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to get information about "known illegal activity" and "known threats to other students" and claimed crime rates have risen significantly at the university.

• "These concerns have compelled the federal government to conclude that Harvard University is no longer a trustworthy steward of international student and exchange visitor programs," Trump wrote.

Zoom in: The order explicitly states it only applies to immigrants entering the U.S. to attend Harvard, not other universities, through the Student Exchange Visa Program.

• It also does not apply to any international student "whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their respective designees."
• Attorney General Pam Bondi said after Trump issued the order that the Department of Justice will "vigorously defend" the president's proclamation on Harvard students that she said was based on national security concerns.
• "Admission to the United States to study at an 'elite' American university is a privilege, not a right," Bondi said on X.

Context: Trump's order is the latest attempt to strip Harvard of its ability to host international students, as part of a broader fight between the administration and the Ivy League School.

• Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's order to DHS to terminate Harvard's student and exchange visitor program certification stalled in the courts.

Yes, but: The administration's attempts prompted "too many international students to count" to ask about transferring to other schools, Harvard's director of immigration services wrote in a filing last month.

Friction point: The Trump administration's efforts to revoke visas of Harvard students in the name of fighting antisemitism has sparked outrage among some Jewish students.

• "I am infuriated by the weaponization of Antisemitism to attack not only universities as institutions but democracy and free speech in the country," said Noga Marmor, a Jewish Harvard student from Israel, in a statement to Axios before the latest executive order.
• Marmor, a history graduate student, said she had also protested Israel's actions in the war in Gaza.

Of note: Trump didn't mention antisemitism in Wednesday's order. Instead, he alluded to the practice of affirmative action at Harvard and other colleges and cited Harvard's financial ties to China and other foreign governments as red flags.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.