‘I Stand With Harvard…’: Raghav Chadha Slams Trump’s Ban On International Students At University

Last Updated:May 24, 2025, 07:57 is

Raghav Chadha condemned US President Donald Trump’s decision to bar international students at Harvard, calling it a threat to academic freedom and global collaboration.

Raghav Chadha on Friday expressed concerns over US President Donald Trump’s decision to bar Harvard University from enrolling international students. In an X post, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP asserted the move would threaten the future of those studying abroad.

Chadha also said he is a member of the Harvard community and that he supports the inclusion of academic freedom.

“President Trump’s recent move threatens the dreams and futures of international students at Harvard and beyond. As a proud member of the Harvard community, I wear my colours to show support for inclusion and academic freedom. I stand with Harvard and all international students whose dreams and futures are under threat,” Raghav Chadha’s X post read.

“We must defend academic freedom and global collaboration,” he added.

The AAP MP also shared an image of himself wearing a black tee with the print ‘Harvard’ on it.

THE WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCEMENT

On Thursday, the White House stated, “Enrolling foreign students is a privilege, not a right.”

The Donald Trump administration also accused the Harvard leadership of turning “their once-great institution into a hotbed of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators.”

In a statement to CNN, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, “They have repeatedly failed to take action to address the widespread problems negatively impacting American students, and now they must face the consequences of their actions.”

Harvard and the Trump administration have been engaged in a conflict for months as the administration demands the university make changes to the programming of the institution, hiring and administration to remove on-campus antisemitism and remove what it termed “racist ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ practices.”

The administration has targeted foreign students and employees, whom it believes were part of the contentious campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war.

HARVARD UNIVERSITY’s RESPONSE

Meanwhile, the University condemned the decision as both unlawful and unwarranted and said that the decision “imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars.”

The University also filed a legal complaint and announced plans to seek a temporary restraining order as it pursues all available remedies.

In an official release on Friday, the Ofice of the President of the Harvard University mentioned, “Yesterday, the federal government announced that it has revoked Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and stripped the University of its authority to sponsor F- and J- visas for international students and scholars for the 2025-26 academic year.”

“The revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence and to submit to the federal government’s illegal assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body,” the release read.

Reassuring its international community, Harvard emphasised its commitment to defending academic freedom and pledged support to those impacted by the decision.

It added, “We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action. It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfil their dreams.”

“We have just filed a complaint, and a motion for a temporary restraining order will follow. As we pursue legal remedies, we will do everything in our power to support our students and scholars. The Harvard International Office will provide periodic updates as new information becomes available,” it added.

The statement further stated that the government has claimed that its destructive action is based on Harvard’s failure to comply with the US Department of Homeland Security’s requests for information.

“In fact, Harvard did respond to the Department’s requests as required by law. For those international students and scholars affected by yesterday’s action, know that you are vital members of our community. You are our classmates and friends, our colleagues and mentors, our partners in the work of this great institution. Thanks to you, we know more and understand more, and our country and our world are more enlightened and more resilient. We will support you as we do our utmost to ensure that Harvard remains open to the world,” the Harvard statement added.

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