The #State Dept has started screening social media accounts of student visa applicants. #MarcoRubio has also stated that the State Dept would target #visas held by Chinese students, an initiative complicated by #Trump’s announcement that Chinese students are welcome to study in America as part of his trade deal with Beijing.

#MarcoRubio has also become increasingly involved in #Trump’s pressure campaign on #Harvard & with the admin’s campaign around #HigherEducation more broadly.

Rubio has privately pressed for his counterparts at the #Treasury Dept to open an investigation into whether Harvard violated federal sanctions by collaborating on a #HealthInsurance conference in China that may have included officials blacklisted by the US govt.

Since those talks started, the Depts of #Education & #HHS both opened challenges to the #university’s #accreditation, which could someday jeopardize the ability of Harvard #students to receive federal #StudentAid. And #ICE has served subpoenas to Harvard w/sprawling demands that included payroll records, years of disciplinary files & any videos #Harvard had of #InternationalStudents protesting on campus since 2020.

Officials from #Harvard & the #Trump admin have exchanged multiple offers since last month as they have explored a potential deal over the #government’s role in #admissions, #hiring & #curriculum. The details of the negotiations remain unclear as talks continue.

#MarcoRubio gave #Harvard a one-week deadline to produce a lengthy list of #university records related to the #StudentVisa program. He said the department plans to interview university staff associated with the program & also may want to speak with #visa holders.

A Harvard spokesman did not immediately comment. A #State Department spokeswoman declined to comment.

#MarcoRubio did not refer to any specific allegation of wrongdoing & instead said the inquiry was necessary “to assist the department in meeting its policy objectives.”

The investigation targets #Harvard’s participation in the Exchange Visitor Program, which is designed to promote #cultural & #educational programs with #visas for a variety of applicants, including #students & #professors as well as #researchers, #interns & #AuPairs.

The #Trump admin has opened a new investigation into #HarvardUniversity’s *compliance* with a government-run #visa program for #InternationalStudents & #professors, targeting the elite #college with the third aggressive action since the 2 sides restarted talks to end their acrimonious *dispute* [Trump attacks].

Secy of #State #MarcoRubio notified Dr. Alan M. Garber, the president of #Harvard, of the investigation in a letter on Wednesday….

The full US Court of Appeals for DC Circuit kept in place a June 6 decision by a divided 3-judge panel that the #Trump admin could legally restrict access to the #AP to news events in the Oval Office & other locations controlled by the White House including Air Force One.

The D.C. Circuit order denied the AP's request that it review the matter, setting up a possible appeal to the #SCOTUS.