Trump Administration Set To End $100 Million In Federal Contracts With Harvard

According to a letter sent to federal agencies by the US government, the latter plans to cancel $100 million of the federal government's remaining contracts with Harvard. It also asked the agencies to "find alternative vendors" for the future, in its latest offence on the school.

“Going forward, we also encourage your agency to seek alternative vendors for future services where you had previously considered Harvard,” the letter said.

Per The New York Times, the letter stated that it is a "complete severance of the government's longstanding business relationship with Harvard." Moreover, federal agencies are required to respond with a list of contract cancellations by June 6th.

The Trump administration on Thursday barred Harvard University's ability to enrol international students. The administration also said that it would be doing so as an ongoing investigation into the university by the Department of Homeland Security. A letter has been sent to the university by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

However, in the letter sent to Harvard University, it was mentioned that, if the university wants the opportunity of regaining Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification before the upcoming academic school year back, they should provide the "information required" within "72 hours".

“We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action,” Dr. Garber wrote in a statement last week, adding that it “imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams.”

US President Donald Trump posted about it on Monday, stating, "We are still waiting for the Foreign Student Lists from Harvard so that we can determine, after a ridiculous expenditure of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, how many radicalised lunatics, troublemakers all, should not be let back into our Country. Harvard is very slow in the presentation of these documents, and probably for good reason!"

Following this, and as a response to Harvard causing a delay in providing the information, the Department of Homeland Security then revoked the Ivy League's ability to take in foreign students.

However, this move was temporarily blocked by an Obama-appointed federal judge. 

Harvard had argued saying that the revocation of its certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program was a “clear retaliation” to the government's policy demands.

Trump had also threatened to redirect $3 billion in federal grants from the university to trade schools on Monday. Earlier, he had frozen $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard University, after the latter rejected demands from the Trump administration.

“The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a message to the community. He added: “No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”