The State Department has launched a probe into Harvard University’s participation in the exchange visitor program.

“All sponsors participating in this program are required to fully comply with exchange visitor regulations, transparency in reporting, and a demonstrated commitment to fostering the principles of cultural exchange and mutual understanding upon which the program was founded,” the DOJ said in a press release.

“To maintain their privilege to sponsor exchange visitors, sponsors must comply with all regulations, including conducting their programs in a manner that does not undermine the foreign policy objectives or compromise the national security interests of the United States.

“The American people have the right to expect their universities to uphold national security, comply with the law, and provide safe environments for all students. The investigation will ensure that State Department programs do not run contrary to our nation’s interests.”

The university has one week to produce a lengthy list of university records related to the program, whose purpose is to promote cultural and educational exchange between citizens of the United States and other countries.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement said the investigation was aimed at verifying that the visa program does not “compromise the national security interests of the United States.”

“The American people have the right to expect their universities to uphold national security, comply with the law and provide safe environments for all students,” Rubio said.

The report comes days after Harvard University in federal court argued the government illegally cut $2.6 billion in federal funding.

President Donald Trump’s administration has battered the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university with sanctions for months as it presses a series of demands on the Ivy League school, which it decries as a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Solange Reyner ✉

Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.

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