WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s administration said on Friday it sought Harvard University’s records on foreign funding going back a decade and on some foreign ties, in the government’s latest escalation against the educational institution.

The Trump administration has launched a widely condemned crackdown against top US universities, including Harvard, over pro-Palestinian campus protests and a range of other culture war issues like transgender rights and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding to those institutions over the issues. Rights advocates have condemned what they call an assault on free speech and academic freedom. US law requires universities to report donations from foreign sources exceeding $250,000 in a year.

In a letter to Harvard President Alan Garber, the US Department of Education said Harvard made “incomplete and inaccurate” disclosures between 2014 and 2019. “Today’s records request is the Trump administration’s first step to ensure Harvard is not being manipulated by, or doing the bidding of, foreign entities,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. The letter cited no evidence to show that was happening.

Harvard said it has filed such reports for decades “as part of its ongoing compliance with the law.” “As is required, Harvard’s reports include information on gifts and contracts from foreign sources exceeding $250K annually. This includes contracts to provide executive education, other training, and academic publications,” the university said.

Among information also sought by the letter within 30 days were records relating to expelled foreign students going back nearly a decade, research conducted by those who were expelled and a list of visiting researchers, students and faculty at Harvard who are affiliated with foreign governments.

Recent Trump actions

In recent weeks and days, the Trump administration began a review of $9 billion in federal contracts and grants to Harvard; called for restrictions including a mask ban and DEI removal; threatened to strip Harvard of its tax-exempt status; and demanded information on some visa holders at Harvard with a threat to take away its ability to enroll foreign students.

Harvard on Monday rejected numerous demands that it said would cede control to the government. The Trump administration subsequently said it was freezing $2.3 billion in funding.

Trump has particularly threatened universities over campus protests against US ally Israel’s devastating military assault on Gaza.

Trump casts the protesters as foreign policy threats who are antisemitic and sympathetic to Hamas. Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say the Trump administration wrongly conflates their advocacy for Palestinian rights and criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza with support for extremism and antisemitism.

The Trump administration is also attempting to deport some foreign protesters and has revoked hundreds of visas across the country.

The Trump administration has frozen or cancelled some funding for universities like Columbia, Princeton, Brown, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell and Northwestern as well.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2025