Harvard students rally as Trump targets grants, international programs
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Hundreds of Harvard students marched in protest after US President Trump announced plans to cancel federal contracts with the university, affecting international students and academic programs.
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Harvard graduating senior Victor Flores claps while listening to a fellow student speak at a protest against Trump's recent sanctions against Harvard in front of Science Center Plaza, May 27, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP)
Harvard University students staged a large protest on Tuesday in Cambridge, Massachusetts, following the US government’s announcement that it plans to cancel all remaining financial contracts with the institution. The decision is part of President Donald Trump's broader education policy campaign, which critics say seeks to exert political control over elite academic institutions.
Hundreds of students gathered to oppose what they see as an aggressive move by Trump against Harvard, with the latest measure alone estimated to be worth $100 million. Demonstrators criticized the administration’s push to pressure the university into accepting oversight of its curriculum, admissions, and research practices.
Placards at the rally included slogans such as “Trump = traitor,” while students chanted in support of their international peers with phrases like, “Who belongs in class today, let them stay.” These chants referred to the uncertainty facing foreign students after the university’s accreditation to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program was revoked by the Trump administration.
“I feel it’s my responsibility to speak out,” said Alice Goyer, a US student who wore a black academic gown to the protest. “All my international friends and professors are at risk of deportation or forced to transfer to other institutions.”
This comes in light of an earlier decision, in which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), halting its ability to enroll foreign nationals and raising serious concerns about the future of thousands of students and the university’s financial stability.
Noem had said Thursday that "this administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, anti-Semitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus."
The protest occurred just days before the university’s 2025 graduation ceremony, with students and families already gathered in Cambridge.
Trump administration moves to cut Harvard funding
The White House has defended its actions, claiming taxpayer funds should prioritize vocational training and public education.
“The president is more interested in giving that taxpayer money to trade schools and programs and state schools where they are promoting American values,” said Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt in an interview on Fox News. “We need more of those in our country, and less LGBTQ graduate majors from Harvard University.”
The $100 million in contracts under threat are the latest in a series of funding cuts targeting Harvard. In recent weeks, the administration has frozen billions of dollars in federal grants and canceled other government agreements with the university. Trump's policies have been widely interpreted as part of a campaign against what he characterizes as liberal bias in academia.
Harvard has responded with multiple legal challenges, including efforts to restore its right to recruit and sponsor international students, who make up 27% of its student population. Legal experts believe the university has a strong case.
“The court system is not going to step to the side and allow this to go forward,” said Ray Brescia, a professor at Albany Law School. “The flaws in the administration’s legal approach are significant enough that a higher court would likely intervene.”
An additional lawsuit from Harvard alumni is expected on June 9, according to filmmaker Anurima Bhargava, who spoke during a virtual event organized by Crimson Courage, an alumni group that is raising awareness and financial support.
Read more: Harvard agrees to discuss divestment from 'Israel' following protests
Symbolic timing with graduation ceremony
The timing of the protest, overlapping with Harvard’s graduation week, brought added visibility to the cause. Helicopters hovered overhead as students in academic attire mingled at campus receptions.
Jack, a British student who graduated from the history of medicine program, said that Trump’s education policy could deter future international students. “The cloud may pass, but the damage will be done,” he said. “I don’t know if I’d pursue a PhD here, six years is a long time when you don’t know where you stand.”
Despite a restraining order issued by a judge ahead of a Thursday hearing, Trump has vowed to press on, labeling some foreign students as “radicalized lunatics, troublemakers.”
Harvard’s legal battles continue, but students, faculty, and alumni remain vocal in their resistance to what they see as a political attack on higher education.
