Noem: Harvard Brought Foreign Student Ban Upon Itself

Harvard University has itself to blame for the Trump administration imposing a school ban on foreign students, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.

In an opinion column for The Washington Post on Monday, Noem wrote that Harvard failed to uphold its required responsibilities for admitting international students, and also "fostered antisemitic extremism" and used taxpayer money to collaborate with an American adversary."

"The law is clear: Every institution authorized to enroll international students has a legal obligation to comply with federal oversight and a moral obligation to provide basic safety for its American and foreign students of all stripes," Noem wrote. "Harvard failed on both accounts."

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs twice has temporarily blocked the administration's efforts to keep Harvard from hosting international students. The university sued the Department of Homeland Security in May after the agency withdrew the school's certification to host foreign students and issue paperwork for their visas.

Harvard called the administration's actions illegal retaliation for rejecting the White House's demands to overhaul the university's policies around campus protests, admissions, hiring, and other issues.

After Burroughs' second ruling on Friday, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to say his administration has been working closely with Harvard and a deal could be announced with the institution over the next week.

Noem wrote that Harvard shirked its related duties and the university's "leadership brought this on themselves."

"A biased judge immediately issued an injunction against this action, clearly taking no time to weigh the merits of the case," Noem wrote in her column. "If she had, then she would have seen that DHS is well within its authority. We fully expect to prevail."

Noem added that institutions seeking to admit foreign students make "a legally binding commitment to comply with applicable federal laws, regulations and DHS requirements," according to Immigration and Customs' Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) agreement.

"DHS notifies school officials that they 'should carefully consider the decision to petition for certification. It is a business decision that requires a financial commitment, significant personnel commitment and strict adherence to reporting and record keeping requirements,'" Noem wrote.

In citing a recent estimate that suggests that foreign-born students contribute approximately $383.6 million annually to Harvard's surrounding economy, Noem added that international students pay more than domestic students in tuition.

"This means the SEVP program has turned into a giant cash cow for Harvard," she wrote.

Noem said Harvard "took that windfall for granted."

"Under its watch, the university encouraged and fostered antisemitic extremism," she wrote. "It permitted hostile foreign influence to fester on campus. It shielded individuals, many here on student visas, involved in conduct that warranted federal investigation."

Noem wrote that Harvard also is under investigation by House Republicans for engaging in partnerships with Chinese Communist Party-affiliated institutions.

"This pattern of behavior raised one simple question: Could DHS continue to allow Harvard to bring in foreign students without doing harm?" Noem wrote. "The answer is a clear no.

"Harvard must decide whether it wishes to be a partner to the United States, or an adversary to American values."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.