Trump Seeks Names and Countries of International Students at Harvard

That follows a judge’s ruling that bars the federal government from revoking Harvard’s ability to register international students.

On May 25, President Donald Trump said he wanted the names and countries of Harvard foreign students after a federal judge prevented his administration from trying to stop the university from registering international students.

“Why isn’t Harvard saying that almost 31% of students coming from foreign lands, but those countries that are not friendly to the US don’t pay anything for their students’ education and don’t intend,” Trump wrote in a social media post on Sunday.

“It’s a reasonable request since giving Harvard billions of dollars, but Harvard isn’t exactly near because we want those names and countries.”

On May 22, the Department of Homeland Security revoked certification for Harvard’s Foreign Student Enrollment Program.

“This administration is responsible for Harvard’s promotion of violence, anti-Semitism and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on campus,” Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem wrote in a social media post.

She sent a letter to the university accusing them of “regulated reporting requirements for student and exchange visitor programs,” “perpetuating an unsafe campus environment hostile to Jewish students,” and “to adopt a racist “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policy.”

Harvard responded by calling the action illegal.

“We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host international students and academics from over 140 countries, with universities and enriching the country,” Harvard University spokesman Jason Newton told the Epoch Times via email.

“We are working promptly to provide guidance and support to our community members. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to Harvard’s community and our country and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”

After the university sued the Trump administration, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction Friday preventing the Department of Homeland Security from revoking its ability to register foreign students.

Following the president’s post on Sunday, it is not clear whether the administrative authorities officially requested the names and countries of Harvard foreign students.

When asked, the Department of Homeland Security referred to the Epoch Times in a news release and revoked the recognition of the Harvard Student and Exchange Visitors Program before the judge’s injunction.

The White House and Harvard did not respond to requests for comment at each publication time.

Harvard enrolled 6,793 international students between 2024 and 2025, according to the university. This is 27.2% of the institution’s total registration.

Funding Disputes

In his post, Trump called on Harvard to spend billions of dollars in donations rather than rely on federal grants.

Harvard University’s total contributions were $53.2 billion, according to Harvard Crimson.

Last month, the Trump administration cancelled more than $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard, accusing them of not fighting anti-Semitism on campus. On May 13, the Federal Anti-Semitism Task Force said the agency would lose another $450 million in grants from eight federal agencies.

“There is a dark issue on Harvard campus, and by prioritizing settlements against accountability, institutional leaders have confiscated the school’s claims for taxpayer support,” the task force wrote.

“As a result, eight federal agencies across the government have announced the end of approximately $450 million in Harvard grants, in addition to the $2.2 billion that ended last week.”

Shortly after the cuts were announced, Harvard sued the Trump administration to challenge several sanctions imposed in recent weeks.

“With all that, the trade-off to Harvard and other universities is clear. Governments can micromanage your academic institution or risk the institution’s ability to pursue medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries, and innovative solutions.”

Jack Phillips and Aaron Gifford contributed to this report.