Trump Demands Harvard Limit Foreign Students

Former President Donald Trump is calling for restrictions on international student enrollment at Harvard University, suggesting a cap of 15%. In a statement released Wednesday, Trump demanded the Ivy League institution provide a comprehensive list of its current foreign student population to the administration. This intervention raises questions about the balance between academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and potential governmental oversight of university admissions policies. While concerns regarding national security and the potential for intellectual property theft have occasionally surfaced in discussions about international students, a mandated cap like the one proposed appears unusually restrictive and could significantly impact Harvard’s diversity and global academic standing. Such a move would likely set a precedent for other universities, potentially hindering the United States’ long-held position as a leading destination for higher education and international scholarly exchange. The demand for a student list also raises privacy concerns and could be seen as an overreach of executive authority, particularly given the lack of stated justification beyond a general assertion of needing to “behave.”