Trump administrator stops visa interviews, cancels $100 million Harvard contract amid crackdown on foreign students
The U.S. State Department has temporarily stopped scheduled new visa interviews for international students planning to study in the country. The move comes as the department works to expand the source of students and visitors to their social media screening processes.
Internal cables signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by the Associated Press Instruction Consular Festival to suspend the addition of new student visa appointment slots “effective immediately” until further guidance is issued.
Temporary cessation will not affect the person who is scheduled to interview
According to reports, a U.S. official clarified that the suspension does not affect applicants who have already scheduled interviews. “This is temporary,” the official added.
State Department spokesman Tammy Bruce responded to the government’s concerns about security, noting: “We will continue to use every tool we can evaluate, whether it’s a student or another tool, whether it’s a student or another tool.”
Universities may be hit when ongoing visa crackdown
The latest move is part of a broader tightening rule against international students under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. Just last week, Harvard lost the power to enroll in international students, a decision quickly stopped by federal judges facing legal challenges.
Earlier this year, thousands of foreign students in the United States were also revoked, prompting many to abandon them out of fear of deportation. Although the government later restored its position, officials also expanded the reasons for future termination.
Prolonged delays in processing student visas can undermine programs for international students who wish to join U.S. institutions during the summer or fall. This can give financial trouble for many universities that rely on fully paid international students to offset reduced federal funds.
Trump administration escalates suppression of Harvard University
Meanwhile, the Trump administration instructed federal agencies on Tuesday to cancel contracts with Harvard University worth an estimated $100 million, further deepening its conflict with the oldest and richest academic institution in the United States.
This comes after the government has received more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants from Ivy League schools, after demands for Harvard’s refusal to comply with its governance and policy changes.
In a letter sent by the General Services Administration, the agency overseeing federal contracts and real estate officials directs the department to review existing contracts with Harvard University and seek alternative options.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Harvard, marking it as a hub of liberal ideology and anti-Semitism. In response, the university filed a lawsuit on April 21, challenging the government’s push for changes in its leadership structure, admissions process and tax conditions. Since then, the government has not only cut Harvard’s international student enrollment rates, but it has also threatened its tax-exempt privileges, exacerbating financial and academic pressures for the institution.
