Trump vs. Harvard: What to know about the ongoing battle

The back-and-forth between Harvard and the Trump administration continues.

On Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem threatened to pull Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification if the university doesn’t provide detailed records on its foreign student visa holders with illegal or violent activities on their records.

The Department of Homeland Security has given Harvard until April 30 to comply.

If it doesn’t, the White House says Harvard wouldn’t be able to enroll foreign students.

There are currently more than 6,000 international students who attend Harvard – that’s more than a quarter of its total enrollment.

Noem also announced Wednesday that more than $2.7 million dollars in homeland security grants to Harvard have been terminated.

Add that to the reported revocation of Harvard’s tax-exempt status, along with the $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million worth of contracts the Trump administration already pulled from the Ivy League institution for refusing to comply with previous demands.

“Harvard bending the knee to antisemitism — driven by its spineless leadership — fuels a cesspool of extremist riots and threatens our national security," Noem said in a statement. "America demands more from universities entrusted with taxpayer dollars.”

A Harvard spokesperson sent us a response, saying in part, “Harvard will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights... We will continue to comply with the law and expect the Administration to do the same.”  

“Harvard values the rule of law and expects all members of our community to comply with University policies and applicable legal standards," the statement continued. "If federal action is taken against a member of our community, we expect it will be based on clear evidence, follow established legal procedures, and respect the constitutional rights afforded to all individuals.”

Over 1,000 members of the Harvard University community assembled on Thursday. The rally, called "Stand Up for Internationals," featured a crowd filled with students, professors and alumni of the university and was a direct protest to the federal government's requests of the campus.

“People at an American College campus are living in fear of their own government," said Ryan Enos, a professor.

Attendees said they were standing up for free speech in a time of fear.

The battle between the Trump administration and the university is taking a toll on the campus community.

“I have international friends and they’re not feeling too great about it," student Zach Rho said.

“The threat is still ongoing. Harvard has committed to fighting Trump’s demands but we don’t know what that looks like in practice yet," added Corinne Shanahan, another student.

“Let’s be clear, though it didn’t start this week - we’ve been seeing for the past few weeks now an authoritarian attack on international students across the country," said Andrew Crespo, a professor at Harvard Law School.

It’s unclear what action the Trump administration will take next.