Rubio opens investigation into Harvard's use of international visas, citing national security

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that the Trump administration has opened an investigation into Harvard University's use of international visas. 

The investigation will determine Harvard University’s continued eligibility as a sponsor for the Exchange Visitor Program and "ensure that State Department programs do not run contrary to our nation’s interests," Rubio said. 

"All sponsors participating in this program are required to fully comply with exchange visitor regulations, transparency in reporting, and a demonstrated commitment to fostering the principles of cultural exchange and mutual understanding upon which the program was founded," he said in a statement. "To maintain their privilege to sponsor exchange visitors, sponsors must comply with all regulations, including conducting their programs in a manner that does not undermine the foreign policy objectives or compromise the national security interests of the United States."

"The American people have the right to expect their universities to uphold national security, comply with the law, and provide safe environments for all students," he added. 

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a meeting with President Donald Trump and Bahrain's crown prince in the Oval Office on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.  (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A Harvard spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the investigation "is yet another retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard's First Amendment rights."

"Harvard continues to enroll and sponsor international scholars, researchers, and students, and will protect its international community and support them as they apply for U.S. visas and travel to campus this fall," the spokesperson added. "The University is committed to continuing to comply with the applicable Exchange Visitor Program regulations."

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem in May attempted to revoke Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, effectively barring the university from enrolling international students. She said the Trump administration was "holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus." 

In April, Noem demanded Harvard turn over records on the "criminality and misconduct of foreign students on its campus." Harvard claimed it complied, but Noem said the university's responses were repeatedly coercive. 

Harvard challenged the revocation in court, claiming the move jeopardized the educations of more than 7,000 F‑1 and J‑1 visa holders and that the Trump administration was retaliating against the university for upholding its "academic independence." 

Protesters gather outside the Moakley Federal Courthouse, where Harvard challenged $2.6 billion in funding cuts on Monday, July 21, 2025, in Boston.  (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Roughly a quarter of Harvard's student body consisted of international students during the last academic year. 

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U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston sided with Harvard University in May on First Amendment grounds, and, again, in a preliminary injunction which more permanently blocked the revocation while litigation plays out. 

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation ordering the State Department to deny F-1 and J-1 student visas to foreign nationals seeking to study at institutions "under federal investigation for antisemitism or national security violations," explicitly naming Harvard. Burroughs then responded forcefully to the Trump administration, ordering consular offices to continue processing visas and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to allow Harvard students entry into the U.S. 

Law enforcement watch a costumed man walk toward protesters outside the Boston federal courthouse where Harvard University appeared to challenge $2.6 billion in funding cuts by the Trump administration, Monday, July 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

"The proclamation, like the SEVP revocation, appears to be a thinly veiled attempt to punish Harvard for resisting political pressure rather than a lawful use of executive immigration authority," the judge wrote at the time. 

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Harvard, meanwhile, returned to federal court on Monday in another case challenging the Trump administration for slashing $2.6 billion in research grants and other federal funding to the university. 

In the hearing, Burroughs questioned the legality of the government's actions, but she has yet to issue a decision on the funding cuts.