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 stopped his administration from stopping the university from registering international students.
“It’s a reasonable request since giving Harvard billions of dollars, but Harvard isn’t exactly near because we want those names and countries.”
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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.”
Following the President’s May 25th post, it is not clear whether the administrator officially requested the names and countries of Harvard foreign students.
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.
“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 on universities 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.
