The Trump administration vs. Mass. colleges

Local News

The Trump administration is threatening to cut school funding and revoke student visas in a stated effort to combat antisemitism.

Local universities have faced a steady stream of blows under the Trump administration—from sudden visa cancellations to threats of funding cuts tied to strict new demands.

Already, the State Department has reportedly revoked the visas of hundreds of students, affecting those at area schools such as Emerson College, Berklee College of Music, Boston University, Northeastern, UMass, and Tufts. 

The list is growing. 

The terminations are part of a nationwide effort led by the Department of State and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to terminate the legal status of international students who have allegedly engaged in criminal behavior while in the U.S., or in activities in support of U.S.-designated terrorist groups like Hamas.

The Trump administration is also threatening to freeze key university grants over campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. On Monday, it halted over $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard for not meeting its demands.

The National Institutes of Health is also trying to cut hundreds of millions of dollars of medical research funding at local universities. A federal judge blocked the move in early March, which the NIH could still appeal.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are also on the chopping block in higher education. 

Last month, the U.S. Education Department said it was investigating dozens of universities, including MIT, for alleged racial discrimination, citing ties to a nonprofit that helps Black and Latino students pursue business degrees. 

For the most recent updates, keep reading below: 

On Monday, MIT President Sally Kornbluth announced that nine students, recent graduates and postdocs had unexpectedly had their visas and immigration status revoked since April 4. 

Kornbluth said the school is “extremely concerned that there appears to have been no notice or explanation from the government for the revocation.” 

Kornbluth wrote that unexpected revocations are sending “alarms” throughout the campus. 

MIT is in the business of attracting and supporting “exceptionally talented people,” wrote Kornbluth. To find those “rare people, we open ourselves to talent from every corner of the United States and from around the globe.” 

Kornbluth wrote that the university would be “gravely diminished without the students and scholars” from other nations. 

“The threat of unexpected visa revocations will make it less likely that top talent from around the world will come to the US – and that will damage American competitiveness and scientific leadership for years to come,” she continued. 

Kornbluth also provided an update on the National Institutes of Health’s sudden cap on “indirect cost” reimbursements required for research on campus. 

In February, MIT joined several other schools and associations in filing a lawsuit against the NIH. The court granted a permanent injunction, which remains intact until the government seeks an appeal. 

Indirect costs cover things like data storage, hazardous materials management, radiation safety, and the maintenance and renewal of research facilities and equipment. 

On Friday evening, the Department of Energy (DOE) imposed a cap similar to the one from NIH to cut more than $400 million in annual spending. 

DOE announced that university grants would no longer cover indirect costs at previously agreed-to rates. Instead, they would terminate all grants unless they conformed to a blanket rate of 15%. 

Kornbluth wrote that the DOE grants support the work of nearly 1,000 members of the MIT community. The 15% cap would amount to $30-$35 million of cuts to MIT annually. 

In response, MIT joined several peer schools and higher ed associations in filing a lawsuit to stop the action. 

“We believe these proposed cuts are unlawful and pose a direct threat to MIT’s mission,” wrote Kornbluth in a statement. “They fracture the compact between the US government and its research institutions that, since the end of World War II, has fueled America’s innovation economy and ensured the nation’s security, prosperity and quality of life.”