The Department of Homeland Security recently revoked Harvard’s ability to admit foreign students.
President Donald Trump suggested transferring federal grants from Harvard University to fund trade schools in a May 26 post on social media platform Truth Social.
“I am considering taking Three Billion Dollars of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land,” Trump wrote. “What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!”
The federal government has already canceled almost $3 billion in grants to the university.
This includes $2.2 billion in federal grants canceled in April after the government accused Harvard of failing to combat anti-Semitism on its campus. On May 13, $450 million in grants were canceled by eight federal agencies. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services said it was terminating $60 million in grants to the university.
Trump’s statement on transferring Harvard funds comes amid a spat between the administration and the university over the issue of foreign students at the institution.
On May 22, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked the certification of Harvard University’s foreign student admissions program, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
“Harvard’s leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment. Many of these agitators are foreign students,” DHS said in a May 22 statement.
“On April 16, 2025, [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem demanded Harvard provide information about the criminality and misconduct of foreign students on its campus. Secretary Noem warned refusal to comply with this lawful order would result in SEVP termination.”
Harvard “brazenly refused” to provide the requested information, thus leading to the government canceling foreign admissions at the university, DHS stated.
The institution filed a lawsuit on May 23, alleging that the Trump administration was seeking to control the university’s policies.
