Planning a Trip to Harvard University? The Trump Administration Is Watching You

US President Donald Trump’s onslaught on Harvard University continued as the US State Department issued a fresh directive instructing all its consular missions abroad to subject visa applicants planning to travel to the Ivy League institution to additional screening.

A cable issued by the Secretary of State on Friday, May 30, called for the immediate implementation of "additional vetting of any non-immigrant visa applicant seeking to travel to Harvard University for any purpose." The word “any” was both bolded and underlined in the document. The order applies to prospective students, current students, faculty, employees, contractors, guest speakers, and even tourists.

According to the cable, Harvard "failed to maintain a campus environment free from violence and anti-Semitism." The new vetting process is intended to help consular officers identify applicants “with histories of anti-Semitic harassment and violence.”

Additionally, the order calls for extra caution when evaluating applicants with private social media accounts, suggesting that restricted visibility might indicate “evasiveness.”

The Secretary of State’s cable notes that the orders concerning Harvard will serve as a “pilot for expanded screening and vetting of visa applicants,” suggesting that similar measures could be extended to other universities in the future.

“If you are not personally and completely satisfied that the applicant, during his time in the United States, will engage in activities consistent with his non-immigrant visa status, you should refuse the visa,” the cable reads.

This development comes against the backdrop of Trump’s persistent attacks on Harvard University. Over the past two months, the Trump administration has frozen $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard, threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status, and attempted to ban the university from enrolling foreign students—a move blocked by a federal judge.

These measures followed Harvard’s refusal to comply with a series of policy demands from the administration, including shutting down its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices, cooperating with federal immigration screenings, and overhauling its governance, hiring, and admissions practices.