The Trump administration has opened a new investigation into Harvard University’s compliance with a government-run visa program for international students and professors, targeting the elite college with the third aggressive action since the two sides restarted talks to end their acrimonious dispute.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio notified Dr. Alan M. Garber, the president of Harvard, of the investigation in a letter on Wednesday, according to a copy of the correspondence reviewed by The New York Times.
Mr. Rubio did not refer to any specific allegation of wrongdoing and instead said the inquiry was necessary “to assist the department in meeting its policy objectives.”
The investigation targets the university’s participation in the Exchange Visitor Program, which is designed to promote cultural and educational programs with visas for a variety of applicants, including students and professors as well as researchers, interns and au pairs.
Mr. Rubio gave Harvard a one-week deadline to produce a lengthy list of university records related to the student visa program. He said the department plans to interview university staff associated with the program and also may want to speak with visa holders.
A Harvard spokesman did not immediately comment. A State Department spokeswoman declined to comment.
Officials from Harvard and the Trump administration have exchanged multiple offers since last month as they have explored a potential deal over the government’s role in admissions, hiring and curriculum. The details of the negotiations remain unclear as talks continue.
Since those talks started, the Education and Health and Human Services Departments opened a challenge to the university’s accreditation, which could someday jeopardize the ability of Harvard students to receive federal student aid. And U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has served subpoenas to Harvard with sprawling demands that included payroll records, years of disciplinary files and any videos Harvard had of international students protesting on campus since 2020.
Mr. Rubio has also become increasingly involved in President Trump’s pressure campaign on Harvard and with the administration’s campaign around higher education more broadly.
Mr. Rubio has privately pressed for his counterparts at the Treasury Department to open an investigation into whether Harvard violated federal sanctions by collaborating on a health insurance conference in China that may have included officials blacklisted by the U.S. government.
The State Department has started screening social media accounts of student visa applicants. Mr. Rubio has also stated that the State Department would target visas held by Chinese students, an initiative complicated by Mr. Trump’s announcement that Chinese students are welcome to study in America as part of his trade deal with Beijing.