The US Department of Homeland Security said that Harvard University could lose its right to admit foreign students if it does not comply with the Donald Trump administration's requests to provide information on some student visa holders, News.bg reports.
This represents another escalation in the conflict between the government and one of the country's leading educational institutions.
Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem announced on Wednesday that two grants totaling more than $2.7 million provided by her department to Harvard will be terminated.
Noem also sent a letter to the university demanding that data on "illegal and violent activities" be provided by April 30 of foreign students on visas studying at Harvard.
"If the university cannot demonstrate that it is fully compliant with reporting requirements, it will lose the privilege of enrolling foreign students," she said.
A Harvard spokesperson confirmed that the university had received the letter and said the university maintained its position, expressed earlier this week: "We will not give up our institutional independence and constitutional rights", while assuring that the university would comply with the law.
The Trump administration has been increasing pressure on universities after pro-Palestinian protests erupted on campuses, provoked by Israel's devastating military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas attack in October 2023.
President Trump has portrayed the protesters as a national security threat, accusing them of anti-Semitism and Hamas sympathies.
For their part, the demonstrators, including representatives of Jewish communities, insist that their actions represent legitimate criticism of Israeli policies and protection of Palestinian rights, not support for extremism.
In addition to financial pressure, the Trump administration is also taking action to deport some foreign protesters and has already canceled hundreds of student visas across the country.