Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, announced on May 22 that the Trump administration revoked Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program, effectively banning the university from admitting international students. In response, Harvard sued the president. This is yet another drastic step by President Donald Trump to regulate higher education in the United States amid the ongoing legal battle over the freezing of Harvard’s federal funding.
This type of federal overreach is nothing new from the Trump administration. However, this Editorial Board commends Harvard’s rare push back against such a hostile attack on the school. The authoritarian nature of Trump’s abuse of executive power cannot be ignored, and the consequences of his coordinated attack on education must not be minimized.
It seems that one of the president’s motives stems from the rise of anti-intellectualism, which refers to the hostility against intellectuals or the pursuit of knowledge. The embrace of anti-intellectualism by many conservatives derives partly from the belief that higher education exclusively serves liberal elites.
Accusations of antisemitism and reverse discrimination on U.S. campuses have been used by President Trump as justification for his attacks on Harvard. However, history tells us that authoritarian regimes often turn to universities as their first targets. These financial penalties and hefty demands are clearly being used as levers to force schools to address faux allegations of systemic issues within higher education. Predictably, most of Trump’s claims are unfounded, and his gross executive overreach has only set a dangerous precedent.
Regardless of the president’s motives, the funding cuts and student enrollment restrictions follow his classic playbook. Just as President Trump issues executive orders to attack law firms that represent his political opponents, he employs a similar tactic to make an example of another set of powerful institutions in American society: large universities. The administration seems to test the waters by issuing huge demands to see which ones will stick, providing no realistic path for universities to accede to all stipulations unless they conform to the president’s vision.
If the Trump administration is successful in preventing Harvard from admitting international students, America can expect to witness significant brain drain. The banning of international students, especially from one of the country’s most prestigious universities, would cost countless brilliant minds and hold American innovation back. The U.S. has consistently led the world in groundbreaking scientific research and technological innovation largely due to American universities welcoming academic talent from around the world. As the hub of global talent and advancement, the U.S. must continue to promote the importance of education so that top scientists, researchers and academic scholars can continue to make significant progress.
During these moments of uncertainty, this Editorial Board calls upon the University of Michigan to voice support for international students on campus and around the country.
The reality is that when federal policies threaten our international students — their ability to live, learn and contribute in the U.S. — the University must stand firmly against them.
The Trump administration’s actions are meant to send a chill down the backs of universities across the country. As students, we deserve a clear plan of action in the event the University is the federal government’s next target. Just as Harvard has refused to bend the knee, we demand the University resist any efforts to harm the most vulnerable members of the U-M community. Trump’s strongman approach means that we must hold the University accountable for its commitment to students and do what it takes to fight for the more than 10,000 international students who have helped make our campus a better place. This means that if the University faces similar attacks, this Editorial Board would be in full support of joining Harvard’s lawsuit against the president.
For now, the University’s international center offers several up-to-date guides on how students can navigate these uncertain and challenging times. But if our international students are directly targeted by the Trump administration, they should be able to trust that the University will stand firmly behind them and fight for their rights without hesitation.
This editorial represents the opinion of The Michigan Daily’s Summer Editorial Board. If you are interested in submitting an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor, please send your submission to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.
