President Donald Trump’s administration is intensifying its fight against Harvard University, warning that its accreditation may be in danger and formally moving to subpoena the school in a bid for information on foreign students.
The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services said they had notified the New England Commission of Higher Education that Harvard may be in violation of anti-discrimination laws and failing to meet the commission’s accreditation standards, citing antisemitism on campus during pro-Palestinian protests after the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
“By allowing anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination to persist unchecked on its campus, Harvard University has failed in its obligation to students, educators, and American taxpayers,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.
“The Department of Education expects the New England Commission of Higher Education to enforce its policies and practices, and to keep the Department fully informed of its efforts to ensure that Harvard is in compliance with federal law and accreditor standards,” she added.
The Department of Homeland Security separately said it was sending subpoenas because the school had “repeatedly refused past non-coercive requests to hand over the required information for its Student Visitor and Exchange Program certification.” The agency is seeking “relevant records, communications, and other documents relevant to the enforcement of immigration laws since January 1, 2020.”
Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the subpoena.
The administration is seeking the information, alleging that Harvard has failed to implement discipline on campus and allowed a dramatic rise in crime. Trump has waged a campaign to overhaul the school’s policies on matters including admissions and faculty hiring, citing the wave of antisemitic rhetoric and violence on campuses across the US.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has demanded Harvard hand over the information on foreign students, including disciplinary records, video footage of protest activity and records relating to illegal activity by students over the past five years. The administration has blocked the school from enrolling international students.
Harvard has been front and center in the administration’s clash with US colleges. As the oldest and richest US university, Harvard has borne the brunt of Trump’s anger as it pushed back on administration demands.
The administration has revoked more than $2.4 billion in Harvard’s research funding and also threatened the university’s tax-exempt status. The school has challenged the ban on international students in court as well as the funding freeze.
“We tried to do things the easy way with Harvard. Now, through their refusal to cooperate, we have to do things the hard way,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services said they had notified the New England Commission of Higher Education that Harvard may be in violation of anti-discrimination laws and failing to meet the commission’s accreditation standards, citing antisemitism on campus during pro-Palestinian protests after the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
“By allowing anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination to persist unchecked on its campus, Harvard University has failed in its obligation to students, educators, and American taxpayers,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.
“The Department of Education expects the New England Commission of Higher Education to enforce its policies and practices, and to keep the Department fully informed of its efforts to ensure that Harvard is in compliance with federal law and accreditor standards,” she added.
The Department of Homeland Security separately said it was sending subpoenas because the school had “repeatedly refused past non-coercive requests to hand over the required information for its Student Visitor and Exchange Program certification.” The agency is seeking “relevant records, communications, and other documents relevant to the enforcement of immigration laws since January 1, 2020.”
Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the subpoena.
The administration is seeking the information, alleging that Harvard has failed to implement discipline on campus and allowed a dramatic rise in crime. Trump has waged a campaign to overhaul the school’s policies on matters including admissions and faculty hiring, citing the wave of antisemitic rhetoric and violence on campuses across the US.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has demanded Harvard hand over the information on foreign students, including disciplinary records, video footage of protest activity and records relating to illegal activity by students over the past five years. The administration has blocked the school from enrolling international students.
Harvard has been front and center in the administration’s clash with US colleges. As the oldest and richest US university, Harvard has borne the brunt of Trump’s anger as it pushed back on administration demands.
The administration has revoked more than $2.4 billion in Harvard’s research funding and also threatened the university’s tax-exempt status. The school has challenged the ban on international students in court as well as the funding freeze.
“We tried to do things the easy way with Harvard. Now, through their refusal to cooperate, we have to do things the hard way,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
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