Washington, May 28: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Harvard University should not admit more than 15% foreign students. He also said that Harvard should show the government a list of all international students currently studying there.
“Harvard needs to behave themselves,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “They are treating our country with disrespect, and all they are doing is getting themselves into more and more trouble,” he added. He also said, "I want Harvard to be great again... How can it be great when you have Harvard announce two weeks ago that they're going to teach remedial mathematics?... How did these people get into Harvard?"
Harvard has not yet responded to Trump’s statement.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has directed all US embassies and consular offices to immediately stop scheduling new visa interviews for student applicants, Politico reported. The move comes as the Donald Trump administration considers expanding its social media vetting procedures for foreign students.
According to a State Department cable obtained by Politico, the instruction applies to F, M, and J visa categories—used by academic and exchange visitors. “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 visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued septel,” the cable reads. (“Septel” is diplomatic shorthand for a separate telegram.)
The cable does not specify what social media content will be scrutinised, but it references executive orders concerning counterterrorism and antisemitism. Sources told Politico that prior guidance included reviewing the social media activity of returning students who had participated in campus protests, particularly those related to Gaza. However, many State Department officials have privately expressed concern over the vague and inconsistent nature of such directives.
The suspension marks a broader tightening of visa procedures and may delay or obstruct access to American educational institutions for thousands of prospective international students. Further instructions from the State Department are expected in the coming days.
