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As Mr Mittal’s went viral on X, several users shared their views, with some claiming that the Republican leader was at loggerheads with Harvard because the institution reportedly did not accept his youngest son Barron Trump.

However, US First Lady Melania Trump put these rumours to rest, calling them “completely false”. She insisted her son had never applied to Harvard.

“Barron did not apply to Harvard and any assertion that he, or that anyone on his behalf, applied is completely false,” Nicholas Clemens, Melania Trump’s communications director, said in a statement.

On Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Todd Lyons sent a letter to the country’s oldest and richest institution, saying it had 30 days to respond to allegations such as fostering anti-semitism and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.

Harvard, in its lawsuit, claimed the DHS did not follow administrative procedures and failed to offer a 30-day window to respond.

In a court filing, the institution’s director of immigration services, Maureen Martin, said that an atmosphere of “profound fear, concern, and confusion” has been witnessed due to the Trump administration’s efforts to stop foreign students’ enrollment.

The official added that domestic students also showed interest in transfer and deferring, for they felt their experience would not remain the same without an international student body.

The US administration is seeking several changes in Harvard’s governance to align it with Donald Trump’s vision. These demands have been rejected by the institution.

The Trump administration’s crackdown on foreign students has led to uncertainty for 6,800 affected students. A judge temporarily blocked the ban on Harvard. Meanwhile, universities in Asia, like HKUST and those in Japan, are welcoming displaced students.

Amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Ivy League universities, the US government had revoked the university’s ability to enrol foreign students. The crackdown comes as a part of scrutiny of foreign students and to penalise universities not complying with federal policies and ideologies.

However, US District Judge Allison Burroughs extended an order blocking the Trump administration from barring Harvard University from enrolling foreign students. It had already been paused since last week when the judge had issued a temporary restraining order.

This back and forth has caught 6,800 international students in its crosshairs and has caused an impediment in their academic journey as they face visa uncertainty and potential deportation. Moreover, life has been on standby for these students who are still trying to figure out the way forward, whether to transfer to another American university to save their visas or wait till the matter clears up at Harvard.

Amidst this, universities in Asia are taking proactive steps to support these displaced students. On Friday, Hong Kong Education Secretary Christine Choi called on universities in the Chinese city to welcome “outstanding students from all over the world”. In an effort to better career prospects and retain global talent, Hong Kong has also introduced policies allowing full-time international undergraduates to take part-time jobs without restrictions

The State Department has mandated stricter vetting for anyone traveling to Harvard, including students and faculty, to identify applicants with anti-Semitic ties. Consular officers will review online presence to assess visa eligibility and credibility.

Those looking to travel to Harvard University “for any purpose” will go through more extensive vetting. The State Department on Friday has instructed all US embassies and consulates to do the same starting “immediately”, per Reuters.

Such applicants include but are not limited to prospective students, students, faculty, employees, contractors, guest speakers, and tourists, the cable said. The word “any” in the cable text is written in bold format and underlined.

After the Trump administration tried to ban the Ivy League university from enrolling foreign students, a judge halted the ban. 

The State Department has said that the vetting measures are being taken to ensure “consular officers can appropriately identify” visa applicants with “histories of anti-Semitic harassment and violence, and to duly consider the visa eligibility under U.S. immigration law,” CNN stated in a report citing a diplomatic cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Per the cable, dated May 30th, if an individual seeks to work at, attend or otherwise visit to Harvard, in the prescreening or interviewing process, consular offices have been instructed to refuse the visa “pending review of their online presence” – which would essentially mean screening of their online presence, including social media.

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