Harvard under Investigation over Participation in Visa Program for Foreign Students and Researchers
Harvard has faced mounting sanctions and scrutiny from Washington since rejecting demands from a federal antisemitism task force in April. Harvard has filed a lawsuit challenging $2.6 billion in federal cuts and has accused the Republican administration of waging a retaliation campaign.
The statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not say why his department was examining Harvard's eligibility to take part in the Exchange Visitor Program, which allows foreign nationals to study or work in the United States through cultural and education exchange programs.
It said all sponsors, such as Harvard, 'are required to fully comply with exchange visitor regulations, transparency in reporting, and a demonstrated commitment to fostering the principles of cultural exchange and mutual understanding upon which the program was founded.'
Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton said the investigation was 'another retaliatory step' taken by the administration.
'Harvard continues to enroll and sponsor international scholars, researchers, and students, and will protect its international community and support them as they apply for U.S. visas and travel to campus this fall,' Newton said in a statement. He said the school is committed to complying with the program's rules.
Brett Bruen, a former director of global engagement under Democratic President Barack Obama, said there is no justification for the administration's action.
'It not only damages Harvard, but American higher education & industry that depend on the best & brightest wanting to come here,' Bruen said in a post on X.
The State Department said the investigation will seek to ensure that its programs 'do not run contrary to our nation's interests.'
The administration also has tried several times to prevent the school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from hosting foreign students, and President Donald Trump has threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status.
Last month, his administration issued a finding that Harvard tolerated antisemitism, a step that could jeopardize all of Harvard's federal funding, including student loans or grants. The penalty is typically referred to as a 'death sentence.'
Harvard's president, Alan Garber, has said the university has made changes to combat antisemitism and will not submit to the administration's demands.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
20 minutes ago
- Japan Today
White House defends firing of Bureau of Labor Statistics head as critics warn of trust erosion
U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Col. Christopher Robinson 89th Airlift Commander after stepping off Marine One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., August 1, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno By Doina Chiacu and Jasper Ward White House economic advisers on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pushing back against criticism that Trump's action could undermine confidence in official U.S. economic data. Later on Sunday, Trump again criticized BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, without providing evidence of wrongdoing, and said he would name a new BLS commissioner in the next three or four days. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CBS that Trump had "real concerns" about the BLS data, while Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said the president "is right to call for new leadership." Hassett said on Fox News Sunday the main concern was Friday's BLS report of net downward revisions showing 258,000 fewer jobs had been created in May and June than previously reported. Trump accused McEntarfer of faking the jobs numbers, without providing any evidence of data manipulation. The BLS compiles the closely watched employment report as well as consumer and producer price data. The BLS gave no reason for the revised data but noted "monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors." McEntarfer responded to her abrupt dismissal on Friday in a post on the Bluesky social media platform, saying it was "the honor of her life" to serve as BLS commissioner and praising the civil servants who work there. McEntarfer's firing added to growing concerns about the quality of U.S. economic data and came on the heels of a raft of new tariffs on dozens of trading partners, sending global stock markets tumbling as Trump presses ahead with plans to reorder the global economy. Investors also are watching the impact of the surprise resignation of Federal Reserve governor Adriana Kugler, which opened a spot on the central bank's powerful board and could shake up what was already a fractious succession process for Fed leadership amid difficult relations with Trump. Trump said on Sunday he would announce a candidate to fill the open Fed position within the next couple days. REVISIONS ARE COMMON In an interview with CBS' "Face the Nation," Greer acknowledged there were always revisions of job numbers, "but sometimes you see these revisions go in really extreme ways." Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America, said large revisions of economic data could undermine public confidence and that government officials should develop ways of improving data quality. "They can get this data, I think, other ways and I think that's where the focus ought to be: how do we get the data to be more resilient and more predictable and more understandable?" he said on CBS. "Because what bounces around is restatements ... that creates doubt about it." Critics, including former leaders of the BLS, slammed Trump's move and called on Congress to investigate McEntarfer's removal, saying it would shake trust in a respected agency. "It undermines credibility," said William Beach, a former BLS commissioner and co-chair of the group Friends of the BLS. "There is no way for a commissioner to rig the jobs numbers," he said. "Every year we've revised the numbers. When I was commissioner, we had a 500,000 job revision during President Trump's first term," he said on CNN's "State of the Union." Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who worked in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, also criticized McEntarfer's firing. "This is a preposterous charge. These numbers are put together by teams of literally hundreds of people following detailed procedures that are in manuals," Summers said on ABC's "This Week." LARGE REVISION The BLS surveys 121,000 employers - businesses and government agencies - each month, seeking their total payroll employment during the week in which the 12th day of the month falls. The response rate has fallen sharply since the COVID pandemic, from 80.3% in October 2020 to about 67.1% in July. Knowing that, BLS allows late-arriving employer submissions, and revisions to earlier submissions, to be taken into account over the next two months. That means each month's initial estimate of employment for the immediately preceding month also contains revisions to the two months before that. The revisions in Friday's report were large by historic standards. The downward revision of 125,000 jobs for May was the largest between a second estimate and third estimate since a 492,000 reduction for March 2020. That was the largest ever and was reported in June 2020 for the payrolls report for May 2020. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Japan Times
20 minutes ago
- Japan Times
Yokohama Mayor Yamanaka wins second term
Incumbent Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka won a second four-year term as head of the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture in Sunday's mayoral election. The 52-year-old independent candidate defeated his five rivals, including author and former Nagano Gov. Yasuo Tanaka, 69, businessman Atsushi Fukuyama, 36, and former Yokohama assembly member Norimi Takahashi, 56. Incumbent Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka won a second term on Sunday. | Jiji Yamanaka had support from the Liberal Democratic Party's Yokohama chapter, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan's prefectural body and Komeito's organization in the city. He pledged to enhance child-rearing support for households and strengthen disaster reduction measures. Also on Sunday, Miyagi Prefecture's capital of Sendai held a mayoral election, in which incumbent Mayor Kazuko Kori, 68, won a third term by defeating three other candidates.
Japan Today
5 hours ago
- Japan Today
Top Trump aide accuses India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a concert before an informal dinner on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia October 22, 2024. Alexander Kryazhev/ Host Photo Agency via REUTERS By Jasper Ward A top aide to President Donald Trump on Sunday accused India of effectively financing Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow, after the U.S. leader escalated pressure on New Delhi to stop buying Russian oil. "What he (Trump) said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia," said Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House and one of Trump's most influential aides. Miller's criticism was some of the strongest yet by the Trump administration about one of the United States' major partners in the Indo-Pacific. "People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. That's an astonishing fact," Miller said on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures." The Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Indian government sources told Reuters on Saturday that New Delhi will keep purchasing oil from Moscow despite U.S. threats. A 25% tariff on Indian products went into effect on Friday as a result of its purchase of military equipment and energy from Russia. Trump has also threatened 100% tariffs on U.S. imports from countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a major peace deal with Ukraine. Miller tempered his criticism by noting Trump's relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which he described as "tremendous." © Thomson Reuters 2025.
