Daijiworld Media Network - Cambridge

Cambridge, MA, Jun 1: Harvard University’s Class of 2025 graduated on Thursday under the shadow of an escalating clash between the university and the Trump administration over international student admissions and federal funding.

Interim President Alan M. Garber, addressing the graduates at the historic Tercentenary Theatre, delivered a pointed but dignified defense of Harvard’s international diversity. “To the Class of 2025, from down the street, across the country, and around the world. Around the world, just as it should be,” Garber said, drawing a standing ovation from students and attendees.

Garber’s remarks came days after the administration revoked Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP), halting the admission of new international students and affecting approximately 6,800 current and prospective students. The decision followed an earlier freeze on $2.2 billion in federal grants, citing Harvard’s refusal to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and to screen students for ideological bias.

Harvard has since filed a federal lawsuit calling the actions a “blatant violation” of free speech and due process. A judge temporarily blocked the ban, and the White House has extended Harvard’s deadline to challenge the decision from 72 hours to 30 days.

President Donald Trump defended the crackdown, warning that “Harvard has got to behave themselves,” and proposed a 15 percent cap on non-U.S. students. The administration has also accused Harvard of fostering antisemitism, campus unrest, and ties to the Chinese Communist Party—accusations the university has firmly denied.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered stricter vetting for all Harvard-bound individuals, including reviews of social media and online activity. “If you are coming here to create problems, you’re probably going to have a problem,” Rubio said, revealing that hundreds—possibly thousands—of visas have already been revoked over concerns of behavior contrary to U.S. foreign policy.

Garber, who became interim president in 2024 after Claudine Gay’s resignation over a pro-Palestine protest controversy, emphasized Harvard’s commitment to global education and diversity, underscoring that the university remains a home for students from every part of the world.