WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday ordered the immediate suspension of all student visa processing, escalating the Trump administration’s aggressive stance on foreign students and elite universities like Harvard. The directive comes as part of a broader campaign that includes visa revocations, deportations, and funding cuts.
In a cable obtained by AFP, Rubio instructed U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide to halt all new student and exchange visa appointments until further notice. The suspension follows an earlier decision by the State Department to rescind hundreds of visas and a White House push to expel foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, accusing them of supporting Hamas.
President Donald Trump’s administration also moved to block Harvard University from admitting non-American students and is cancelling all federal contracts with the school—measures estimated at $100 million in value. Trump’s team accuses Harvard of refusing government oversight over admissions, curriculum, and research.
At the center of the storm, students at Harvard staged a large protest on Tuesday. Holding signs that read “Trump = traitor” and chanting “who belongs in class today, let them stay,” protesters condemned the administration’s targeting of international students. The university’s accreditation to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program was revoked, putting the legal status of thousands of students in limbo.
A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order ahead of a court hearing scheduled for Thursday, coinciding with Harvard’s commencement ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has initiated multiple legal challenges, aiming to block the revocation of its rights to recruit international students and to overturn funding withdrawals.
“The president is more interested in funding trade schools and programs that promote American values and needed skills, rather than degrees like LGBTQ graduate majors from Harvard,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News. She added that taxpayer money should support education that aligns with national priorities.
Harvard, which enrolls thousands of international students—making up about 27% of its student body—has already seen billions of dollars in federal grants frozen and faces the loss of additional research contracts. Legal experts suggest the university has strong grounds for its lawsuits and may succeed in court. Ray Brescia of Albany Law School described the administration’s legal position as “so flawed” that it’s unlikely to survive judicial scrutiny.
Meanwhile, grassroots alumni group Crimson Courage plans to file a separate lawsuit on June 9. “This is an assault on academic freedom and international collaboration,” said filmmaker Anurima Bhargava during a webinar organized to rally legal and financial support.
At Tuesday’s protest, many students expressed anxiety about their future in the U.S. “All my international friends, professors, and researchers are at risk,” said Alice Goyer, a graduate student in academic regalia. Another student from Britain said the hostile climate could deter others from pursuing studies in the U.S.
Despite mounting legal opposition and growing campus unrest, Trump has vowed to press on. “Foreign students at Harvard include radicalized lunatics, troublemakers,” he declared earlier this week.
The administration’s actions represent an unprecedented escalation in the politicization of higher education, and its outcomes—both in courts and on campuses—could have lasting implications for U.S. universities and international academic relations.
