Screening all applicants: White House targets Harvard again

Harvard obtains a court order certifying that it can continue to accept foreign students. The Trump administration immediately launches a new effort to prevent undesirable activists from entering the country. Consulates will now be required to scan the ideology of every applicant.

According to media reports, the U.S. State Department has ordered a review of the online activities of all individuals applying for visas to attend the elite Harvard University. The department has instructed U.S. embassies and consulates to begin this process immediately, CNN and the online media outlet Politico reported, citing an internal directive from the department. According to the statement, this will affect not only students, but also researchers and guest speakers.

The review should include a "full screening of the online presence" of visa applicants, US media outlets unanimously quote from the directive. If an applicant has no online presence or their social media profile is set to private, consular staff should examine whether this could be an indication of evasive behavior and call into question the applicant's credibility.

Action against Harvard as a pilot project?

The goal is to determine whether visa applicants have been found to be exhibiting anti-Semitism. According to media reports, the action against Harvard is considered a pilot project that could be expanded to other US universities.

US media recently reported that the US government intends to conduct more stringent checks on prospective foreign students and participants in exchange programs in the future.

Harvard is a particular thorn in the side of the US government: Unlike other universities, the elite university is resisting far-reaching demands from the US government. As a result, the Trump administration has cut billions in funding to the university. It also wants to prevent the Massachusetts university from admitting international students. A legal battle is currently underway in this regard.

The Trump administration accuses universities like Harvard of not taking decisive enough action against pro-Palestinian protests and of tolerating anti-Semitic incidents on campus.