State Department Investigates Harvard Over J-1 Visa Program
Secretary Marco Rubio, a son of Cuban migrants, says visa sponsorship “a privilege,” as trump administration ramps up pressure on university.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has opened a formal investigation into Harvard University’s participation in the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program, citing potential concerns over the university’s compliance with visa regulations and its alignment with U.S. foreign policy and national security interests.
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The probe, announced Wednesday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marks the latest front in the Trump administration’s widening campaign against the Ivy League institution, following earlier threats to its accreditation and certification under the separate Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
“All sponsors participating in this program are required to fully comply with exchange visitor regulations,” Rubio wrote in a press statement. “Visa sponsorship is a privilege, and sponsors whose conduct tarnishes our nation’s interests will lose that privilege.”
The Exchange Visitor Program allows U.S. institutions to sponsor short-term visas for foreign scholars, researchers, and students. Harvard has one week to turn over a broad range of records related to its visa sponsorship activities, according to the New York Times, which first reported the investigation. Rubio reportedly sent a letter directly to Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 on Wednesday morning, notifying him of the probe.
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While the State Department has not detailed specific violations, the announcement emphasized that programs must be “conducted in a manner that does not undermine the foreign policy objectives or compromise the national security interests of the United States.”
In a statement to The Harvard Crimson, University spokesperson Jason A. Newton condemned the investigation as “retaliatory” and “a violation of the University’s First Amendment rights.” He affirmed that Harvard “will protect its international community and support them as they apply for U.S. visas and travel to campus this fall.”
The investigation follows escalating federal scrutiny of Harvard, including a May decision by the Department of Homeland Security to revoke the university’s SEVP certification, which governs the F-1 student visa program. That move came after Harvard submitted a partial set of records requested by ICE, including documentation of international students’ post-graduation employment and any videos of student protests since 2020. A federal judge later blocked DHS’s revocation order and granted preliminary relief, but a second attempt may still be in play.
Rubio has taken a central role in these efforts. In June, he urged the Treasury Department to investigate whether Harvard violated U.S. sanctions by hosting blacklisted Chinese officials. He also announced a new program to screen visa applicants’ social media posts for antisemitic content. The Trump administration has tied antisemitism to its broader foreign policy priorities and suggested that even calls to cut military aid to Israel could justify revoking a visa.
Although Harvard has not disclosed what records it submitted in response to earlier subpoenas, the university posted an online message promising to comply with legal obligations and informing international students they would be contacted if their information was turned over.
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Meanwhile, international scholars have reported travel disruptions. In June, at least two incoming J-1 visa holders were denied entry at Boston’s airport, though Harvard later said they were expected to gain entry.
The investigation into Harvard’s J-1 visa sponsorship comes amid an ongoing federal funding freeze that has already cost the university more than $2 billion in lost research contracts. A federal judge heard arguments this week in Harvard’s lawsuit challenging the freeze but has yet to issue a ruling.
The Exchange Visitor Program and the SEVP together form the backbone of the United States’ academic visa system. Both are now under intense scrutiny as the administration continues to leverage federal immigration authority to challenge Harvard’s policies and global affiliations.
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