President Donald Trump has unleashed a hard-hitting executive order, slamming the brakes on Harvard’s ability to enroll international students, citing national security risks and alleged misconduct.

This is no mere policy tweak—it’s a direct challenge to one of the nation’s most prestigious institutions, escalating a battle that’s been simmering for months.

But this isn’t Harvard’s first brush with controversy. From admissions scandals to campus unrest, the Ivy League giant has faced intense scrutiny over the past decade.

President Trump's executive order titled "Enhancing National Security by Addressing Risks at Harvard University," signed Tuesday, effectively bars Harvard University from enrolling new international students.

The order suspends Harvard’s participation in the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program, declaring it a "privilege granted by our government, not a guarantee."

Trump argued that Harvard’s failure to address misconduct by foreign students and its alleged non-compliance with federal demands pose an "unacceptable risk" to national security.

"The Federal Bureau of Investigation has long warned that foreign adversaries… take advantage of easy access to American higher education to steal technical information and products," the order states, specifically citing concerns about the People’s Republic of China exploiting the student visa program.

The executive order escalates an ongoing conflict with Harvard, which enrolls approximately 6,800 international students from 140 countries, comprising over 25% of its student body, with about one-third hailing from China.

Trump accused Harvard of "coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party" and failing to curb antisemitic protests on campus, claims the university denies.

The order also directs Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider revoking visas for current international students at Harvard.

A federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked a similar Department of Homeland Security action last week, but Trump’s latest move invokes different legal authority, intensifying the legal showdown.

Harvard has faced mounting pressure from the Trump administration, including the loss of over $2.7 billion in federal research funding and threats to its tax-exempt status.

The administration demanded records related to foreign student misconduct, which Harvard claims it provided, though the government deemed the response insufficient.

Trump’s order further criticizes Harvard for its history of race-based admissions, struck down by the Supreme Court in 2023, stating, "It is not in the interest of the United States to further compound Harvard’s discrimination… by further reducing opportunities for American students through excessive foreign student enrollment."

Harvard’s recent history is marked by several high-profile controversies. In 2018, the university faced a lawsuit from Students for Fair Admissions, alleging discriminatory admissions practices against Asian-American applicants. The case, which claimed Harvard’s race-based admissions violated federal law, culminated in a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action in college admissions nationwide.

The decision reshaped admissions policies across the U.S., with Harvard at the epicenter.

In 2021, Harvard faced backlash over its handling of sexual misconduct allegations against anthropology professor John Comaroff.

Students and faculty criticized the university for allegedly protecting Comaroff despite complaints from multiple women, prompting a federal lawsuit and campus protests. The controversy raised questions about Harvard’s commitment to addressing sexual harassment.

More recently, in 2024, Harvard drew criticism for its response to campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The university was accused of failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment, leading to congressional investigations and intensified scrutiny from the Trump administration. These allegations fueled the administration’s push to restrict Harvard’s international student program.

Harvard’s been thumbing its nose at America for years—coddling foreign students who, according to the FBI, could be siphoning off our tech and secrets to places like Communist China.

This isn’t just about visas; it’s about standing up to a university that thinks it’s above the law, above the country, above you and me. And don’t forget the laundry list of scandals—rigging admissions for the rich, protecting predators, and now letting antisemitic chaos run wild on campus.