The U.S. Donald Trump administration has taken measures to block Harvard University from accepting foreign students after the university rejected government demands to eradicate anti-Semitism, prompting the university to file a lawsuit against the government just one day later.
According to the Massachusetts District Court, on the 23rd (local time), Harvard University filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and others, asserting that the Trump administration's cancellation of Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification was unconstitutional and illegal, and asked to block the action.
It has been just one day since the Department of Homeland Security blocked the registration of foreign students through the cancellation of the SEVP certification.
In the lawsuit, Harvard stated, “The government is attempting to erase international students who constitute a quarter of Harvard's student body with a pen,” adding, “These students significantly contribute to Harvard and the mission of the university.”
Harvard also noted, “The certification for foreign student registration is essential for thousands of international students to legally remain in this country while completing their studies, earning degrees, and continuing important research.”
Harvard argued that the cancellation of the certification blatantly violates the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of expression, and was made without due process.
It added, “Harvard has exercised its rights under the First Amendment by rejecting government demands to control the university's governance, curriculum, and the ideologies of faculty and students,” stating, “This action is the most recent example of the government taking obvious retaliatory measures in response to the university exercising its rights under the First Amendment.”
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits any legislation that establishes a particular religion as the national religion, restricts free religious practices, impedes freedom of the press, violates the freedom to publish, obstructs the right to peaceful assembly, or hinders the right to petition the government.
Harvard explained that this action affects more than 7,000 members of Harvard holding student visas (F-1) and exchange visitor visas (J-1) and their families.
The day before, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it had canceled the SEVP certification due to Harvard's noncompliance with the law.
As a result of losing the certification, Harvard can no longer accept foreign students. The Department of Homeland Security stated that existing foreign students must transfer schools or risk losing their legal status.
The Department of Homeland Security stated, “Harvard's administration has created an unsafe campus environment by allowing anti-American and pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault many individuals, including Jewish students, and disrupt the learning environment,” noting that many of those inciting the actions are foreigners.
Previously, after Harvard rejected the government's proposal to change its campus educational policies to eradicate anti-Semitism, the Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to Harvard last month demanding information about criminal activities and violent behavior among foreign students on campus, stating that if it did not comply, the SEVP certification would be terminated.