The Trump administration is opening an investigation into Harvard University’s status as a sponsor of the U.S. Exchange Visitor Program, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday, intensifying the administration’s broader crackdown on international academic programs.
The probe focuses specifically on participants at Harvard under J-1 visas, which are issued for foreign nationals entering the U.S. as professors, researchers, students, and specialists. The investigation does not include the F-1 student visa program, which is managed separately by the Department of Homeland Security.
Rubio said the inquiry would ensure that State Department programs “do not run contrary to our nation’s interests,” but did not elaborate on the scope of the investigation.
He emphasized that all program sponsors must demonstrate full compliance with exchange visitor regulations and maintain a commitment to cultural exchange. “To maintain their privilege to sponsor exchange visitors, sponsors must comply with all regulations, including conducting their programs in a manner that does not undermine the foreign policy objectives or compromise the national security interests of the United States,” Rubio said.
The State Department has also increased scrutiny of student and exchange visa applicants, now requiring many to set their social media accounts to public. A recent cable to U.S. embassies instructed officials to evaluate applicants for signs of “hostile attitudes towards our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles.”
