Justice Department claims Harvard failed to oversee international students amid campus violence, after judge blocked bid to bar their enrollment
The Trump administration has intensified its legal and regulatory campaign against Harvard University, filing a motion to dismiss the school’s lawsuit over restrictions on hosting international students while opening a new investigation into its handling of federally funded patents, US media reported Friday.
According to The New York Times, the Justice Department accused Harvard of failing “to properly host, monitor, discipline, and report on its foreign students,” citing increased violent crime on campus as justification for challenging the university’s eligibility to enroll them. The administration has aggressively tried to deport a number of foreign students, especially those involved in supporting the Palestinian cause.
Harvard’s lawsuit argues that “without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” and accuses the administration of retaliating against the school for resisting White House attempts to influence its governance and academic freedom.
Federal Judge Allison Burroughs has previously blocked the administration’s efforts to bar international enrollment, expressing skepticism over the government’s position.
The new motion seeks to dismiss the student-related lawsuit entirely but does not affect Harvard’s separate case over research funding cuts.
In a related development, Commerce Secretary Howard W. Lutnick sent Harvard President Alan Garber a letter announcing a comprehensive review of the university’s compliance with federal patent laws.
Lutnick said the department “places immense value on the groundbreaking scientific and technological advancements” at Harvard but claimed that the university “failed to live up to its obligations to the American taxpayer.”
Harvard called the investigation “unprecedented” and “yet another retaliatory effort targeting Harvard for defending its rights and freedom,” saying its “technologies and patents developed at Harvard are lifesaving and industry-redefining,” and reaffirming its commitment to comply with federal law.
Since taking office this January, the second Trump administration has taken aim at several high-profile universities, claiming that they continue to pursue “woke” policies promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in defiance of Trump’s argument that such policies are discriminatory and illegal. It has threatened to cut off government funding for such universities, among other measures.
Trump has also criticized universities for allowing pro-Palestinian protests, which he alleges are antisemitic, though they criticize the state of Israel, not Jews, many of whom condemn Israel’s actions.
Countering the administration, the universities say such efforts to control them are un-American violations of free speech and academic freedom.
