1) Canadians’ future at Harvard in question after Trump bans international students

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Canadian Press Staff, May 23, 2025

Hundreds of Canadians could potentially be caught up in the fight between President Donald Trump and prestigious Harvard University over international student enrollment.

The school did not immediately have a current count of Canadians studying there, but numbers on its website from 2022 show there were 686 enrolled at that time.

Harvard University filed a lawsuit Friday morning in federal court in Boston challenging the Trump administration’s decision to bar the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students.

The school called the decision unconstitutional retaliation for defying the White House’s political demands.

Harvard said the government’s action violates the First Amendment and will have an immediate and devastating effect on more than 7,000 student visa holders at the school.  

It said it plans to file for a temporary restraining order to block the Department of Homeland Security from carrying out the move.

The department announced the action Thursday, accusing Harvard of creating an unsafe campus environment by allowing “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” to assault Jewish students on campus. It also accused Harvard of coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party, contending the school had hosted and trained members of a Chinese paramilitary group as recently as 2024.

Harvard enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Mass. Most are graduate students and they come from more than 100 countries.

— With files from the Associated Press. 

2) Trump administration bars Harvard from enrolling foreign students

Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press

By Collin Binkley, May 22, 2025

The Trump administration revoked Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students in its escalating battle with the Ivy League school, saying thousands of current students must transfer to other schools or leave the country.

The Department of Homeland Security announced the action Thursday, saying Harvard has created an unsafe campus environment by allowing “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” to assault Jewish students on campus. Without offering evidence, it also accused Harvard of coordinating with the Chinese communist party.

“This means Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,” the agency said in a statement.

Harvard enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, accounting for more than a quarter of its student body. Most are graduate students, coming from more than 100 countries.

“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” Kristi Noem said in a statement.

The administration revoked Harvard’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which gives the school the ability to sponsor international students to get their visas and attend school in the United States.