Belgium's Crown Princess Pursuing Master's at Harvard
Court Temporarily Blocks Trump Decision... Hearing Set for the 29th
There are growing expectations that even the Belgian princess currently studying at Harvard may have to leave the university, following the Trump administration's move to block foreign student enrollment at Harvard University.
On the 23rd (local time), U.S. congressional media outlets The Hill and Politico, as well as the UK’s Guardian, reported that Princess Elisabeth (23), considered the future monarch of Belgium, may no longer be able to remain in the United States due to President Trump’s latest measure.
Princess Elisabeth, the eldest daughter of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, is first in line to the Belgian throne. She majored in history and political science at the University of Oxford in the UK and has completed the first year of a two-year master's program in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School.
The Belgian royal family is closely monitoring the situation at Harvard. Royal spokesperson Lore Vandoorne stated, "The ramifications of this matter will become clearer in the coming days or weeks, so we are currently investigating the situation."
The previous day, the Trump administration took the unprecedented step of stripping Harvard of its eligibility to enroll foreign students. The administration cited Harvard’s refusal to accept changes in educational policy, such as adopting measures to eradicate antisemitism, as well as allegations of cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party on campus, as the reasons.
The Department of Homeland Security announced that "Harvard University did not comply with the law" and revoked its certification for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated that, as a result, foreign students currently enrolled at Harvard may lose their eligibility to remain in the United States unless they transfer to another institution.
In response, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the government’s decision, and the federal district court in Massachusetts accepted the case within a day, resulting in a temporary suspension of the government's SEVP certification revocation. The court cited violations of constitutional provisions on freedom of expression and due process as the grounds for its decision.
The court is scheduled to hold a hearing on the 29th to determine whether to halt the government’s measure on a long-term basis.
Harvard expects that this measure will affect its members holding F-1 student visas and J-1 exchange visitor visas.
Harvard President Alan Garber stated, "Without international students, Harvard is not Harvard."
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