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Harvard Sues Trump Admin. Over Foreign Student Ban

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Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration overย its decision to terminate the universityโ€™s student visa program.ย 

Harvard said the policy will affect more than 7,000 visa holders and is a “blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act,” per its court filing.

On Thursday, DHS Secretaryย Kristi Noemย ordered Harvardย to be taken off the Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification.ย The order effectively bans Harvard from enrolling international students and forces current ones, who make up roughly a quarter of the schoolโ€™s student population, to transfer.ย 

DHS moved to terminate the program after Harvard allegedly failed to provide it with the extensive behavioral records of student visa holders the department requested. DHS offered Harvard 72 hours on Thursday to come into compliance with the request.ย 

As of now, Harvard may no longer enroll foreign students in the 2025โ€“2026 school year, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status to reside in the U.S. before the next academic year begins.ย International students made up 27 percent of Harvardโ€™s student body in the 2024-2025 academic year.ย 

The records requested include any footage of protest activity involving students on visas and the disciplinary records of all students on visas in the last five years. 

Requested records also include footage or documentation of illegal, dangerous or violent activity by student visa holders, any records of threats or the deprivation of rights of other students or university personnel.

Harvard President Alan Gerber announced the suit in a letter to the Harvard community.

โ€œWithout its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,โ€ the complaint reads. 

The administration has launched aย multi-front pressure campaignย against the school for refusing to bow to its demands for changes to itsย admissions and hiring policies, as well as getting rid of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and a stronger stance against antisemitism.ย ย 

Last month, the schoolย sued the administration for freezingย more than $2 billion in federal funding unless it complies with various demands.ย 

Mike Pence Joins George Mason University’s Schar School as Distinguished Professor

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Mike Pence via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former Vice President Mike Pence, a longtime champion of conservative principles and constitutional government, is taking on a new role in public serviceโ€”this time in the classroom. Beginning in the spring semester, Pence will serve as a Distinguished Professor of Practice at George Mason Universityโ€™s Schar School of Policy and Government in northern Virginia.

The university announced that Pence will teach undergraduate courses and host public-facing seminars, offering students direct insight from someone who has been at the highest levels of government. He will also participate in mentorship programs and moderated discussions with students pursuing careers in political science, law, and public administration.


A Voice of Conservative Principles and Constitutional Fidelity

Schar School Dean Mark Rozell praised Penceโ€™s commitment to principle, noting that the former vice president brings a โ€œdisciplined approach to communication and a deeply rooted conservative philosophyโ€ that will enrich discussions on federalism, the separation of powers, and the role of values in public life.

In his statement, Pence underscored his passion for preparing the next generation of leaders, saying:

โ€œThroughout my years of public service, I have seen firsthand the importance of principled leadership and fidelity to the Constitution in shaping the future of our nation. I look forward to sharing these lessons with the next generation of American leaders and learning from the remarkable students and faculty of George Mason University.โ€


From Congress to the White Houseโ€”and Beyond

Before serving as vice president under President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021, Pence represented Indiana in Congress and later served as Governor of Indiana, where he advanced pro-growth economic policies and defended conservative values. As vice president, Pence was widely respected for his loyalty, discipline, and steady leadership throughout the administrationโ€™s first term.

Despite intense pressure on January 6, 2021, Pence upheld his constitutional duty to oversee the certification of the Electoral College voteโ€”a decision rooted in his firm belief in the rule of law and the limits of executive power. Although this choice drew criticism from some, it underscored his unwavering commitment to the Constitution.


Continuing to Shape the Conservative Conversation

In 2023, Pence briefly sought the Republican nomination for president, offering voters a vision rooted in traditional conservatism and warning against the growing influence of populism within the party. Though his campaign ended early, it reflected his enduring belief in limited government, personal responsibility, and strong national defense.

Now 66, Penceโ€™s next chapter allows him to invest his decades of experience in Americaโ€™s future leadersโ€”encouraging them to lead with principle, conviction, and respect for our founding ideals.

Trump Signs Executive Order Dismantling Dept. of Education

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President Trump signed an executive order Thursday seeking to facilitate his longstanding goal of eliminating the Department of Education.

While the order recognizes it would take an act of Congress to completely shutter the department, Trump directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to do all she can to achieve its end.  

โ€œToday, we take a very historic action that was 45 years in the making,โ€ he said at a signing ceremony at the East Room of the White House that included multiple school-age children sitting at classroom desks. โ€œI will sign an executive order to begin eliminating the federal Department of Education.โ€ 

โ€œThe departmentโ€™s useful functions [โ€ฆ] will be preserved, fully preserved,โ€ Trump added, referring to Pell Grants, Title I funding and programs for students with disabilities. โ€œTheyโ€™re going to be preserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments.โ€ 

โ€œBut beyond these core necessities, my administration will take all lawful steps to shut down the department. Weโ€™re going to shut it down and shut it down as quickly as possible,โ€ he added at the ceremony, which was attended by Republican lawmakers and governors including Rep. Virginia Foxx (N.C.), Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The White House said earlier Thursday the Education Department will still keep its critical functions that are mandated by Congress.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Trump Targets $1 Billion In Damages From โ€˜Strongly Antisemiticโ€™ Harvard

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PaWikiCom, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

President Donald Trump said he is seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University, blasting the Ivy League institution as โ€œStrongly Antisemiticโ€ and accusing it of failing to protect Jewish students on campus.

In a late-night series of posts on Truth Social Monday, Trump said Harvard should be facing criminal charges, not just civil penalties, for what he described as the universityโ€™s inability โ€” or refusal โ€” to rein in antisemitism.

Trump also took aim at The New York Times, which reported earlier that he had โ€œbacktrackedโ€ in his administrationโ€™s dispute with Harvard.

According to the Times, Trump had dropped his administrationโ€™s demand for a $200 million payment to the federal government โ€œin hopes of finally resolving the administrationโ€™s conflicts with the university, according to four people briefed on the matter.โ€

Trump called that reporting โ€œcompletely wrong.โ€

He accused the paper of being run by โ€œfraudstersโ€ who intentionally misrepresent him โ€” something he said the public will soon recognize as he pursues a $15 billion lawsuit against the newspaper.

โ€œI hereby demand that the morons that run (into the ground!) the Times change their story, immediately,โ€ Trump posted.

That message came roughly 40 minutes after Trump unleashed a separate post sharply criticizing Harvard itself.

He said the university has been โ€œbehaving very badlyโ€ and has been feeding โ€œnonsenseโ€ to the Times for some time. Trump accused Harvard of attempting to escape accountability by offering superficial policy changes that failed to seriously address antisemitism on campus.

Here is the key section of Trumpโ€™s post:

โ€œThey wanted to do a convoluted job training concept, but it was turned down in that it was wholly inadequate and would not have been, in our opinion, successful. It was merely a way of Harvard getting out of a large cash settlement of more than 500 Million Dollars, a number that should be much higher for the serious and heinous illegalities that they have committed.โ€

Trump added:

โ€œThis should be a Criminal, not Civil, event, and Harvard will have to live with the consequences of their wrongdoings. In any event, this case will continue until justice is served.โ€

The president also criticized Harvard President Dr. Alan Garber, saying:

โ€œDr. Alan Garber, the President of Harvard, has done a terrible job of rectifying a very bad situation for his institution and, more importantly, America itself. He was hired AFTER the antisemitism charges were brought โ€” I wonder why???โ€

Trump concluded by announcing he is โ€œnow seeking One Billion Dollars in damagesโ€ from the university.

He also quoted the same New York Times report he had criticized, which said many Harvard employees believe the school has โ€œno option but to eventually cut a deal.โ€

Trumpโ€™s comments follow a federal task force report last year that accused Harvard of โ€œdeliberate indifferenceโ€ and โ€œwillful participationโ€ in antisemitic harassment of students and faculty.

According to the administration, the university became a hotbed for anti-Israel protests and antisemitism following Hamasโ€™s October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel.

โ€œThis hostile environment includes harassing speech, threats, and intimidation targeting Jewish and Israeli students, including calls for genocide and murder,โ€ the administration said in a June report. โ€œThe findings also extensively detail acts of physical intimidation and violence between students. This hostile environment denied, and continues to deny, studentsโ€™ fundamental educational opportunities.โ€

Trumpโ€™s administration previously attempted to freeze $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard over the allegations, but a federal judge blocked the move in September.