The Trump administration is launching a new attack on Harvard University, one of the premier private academic institutions in the United States.

The New York Times reports that “The Trump administration on Thursday halted Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students, taking aim at a crucial funding source for the nation’s oldest and wealthiest college in a major escalation of the administration’s efforts to pressure the elite school to fall in line with the president’s agenda.”

This coercive move by the Trump administration threatens the principles of academic freedom, democratic education, and equitable access to education.

“The administration notified Harvard about the decision — which could affect about a quarter of the school’s student body — after a back-and-forth in recent weeks over the legality of a sprawling records request as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s investigation, according to three people with knowledge of the negotiations. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly,” according to The New York Times.

The Trump administration’s actions are unlawful and will certainly be challenged by Harvard in a new lawsuit.

However, this action does not merely affect Harvard University and international students seeking to enroll in its educational programs. The Trump administration’s menacing behavior effectively threatens other universities and colleges across the nation that enroll international students.

“The latest move intensifies the administration’s attempt to upend the culture of higher education by directly subverting the ability of one of the nation’s premier universities to attract the best and brightest students from all over the world. That capability, across all of academia, has long been one of the greatest sources of academic, economic and scientific strength in America.”

Schmidt, Michael S. and Michael C. Bender. “Trump Administration Says It Is Halting Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students.” The New York Times (22 May 2025).