US President Donald Trump has suspended the entry of foreign students wishing to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University for six months.
The relevant document was published on the White House website.
The executive order also directs the Secretary of State to consider revoking the current visas of students currently enrolled at the university.
After six months, the order to suspend visas may be extended.
In the proclamation, Trump accused Harvard of having extensive ties to foreign powers, including “adversaries of the United States,” primarily China.
He claimed that Harvard had allegedly hosted and trained members of the Chinese Communist Party’s paramilitary organization on multiple occasions and that university researchers had collaborated with people in China on research that could contribute to the modernization of the Chinese military.
Trump also accused Harvard of “ignoring the civil rights of its students and faculty” and discriminating against “non-priority” races in admissions.
Harvard called the order “yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the administration that violates Harvard’s First Amendment rights” and promised to continue to protect its international students.