The Wall Street Journal has condemned the Trump administration for its "narrow-minded assault" on Harvard.

The Wall Street Journal criticized President Trump’s administration for launching a “short-sighted attack” on Harvard University after prohibiting the Ivy League school from enrolling international students this week.  

The editorial board stated that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) choice to revoke Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification on Thursday has thrown the futures of the university’s foreign students “into turmoil.”  

“It’s also a narrow-minded attack on one of America’s significant competitive advantages: its ability to draw in the world’s top talent,” the board noted in an editorial published on Friday.  

“Most of Harvard’s international students are enrolled in graduate programs. Many contribute to scientific research and help teach undergraduate courses,” the editorial board continued. “Removing them from Harvard will disrupt research initiatives and may lead some science professors to seek positions at other universities. This appears to be a strategy aimed at halting Harvard’s research funding.”  

The White House responded to the editorial on Saturday, encouraging the publication to focus on its news section.

"The editorial board of the Wall Street Journal should reflect on their publication's own coverage — Harvard has become a hub for anti-American, anti-Semitic, and pro-terrorist activists that endanger American students," stated White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson to The Hill. 

"They have consistently neglected to tackle the significant problems affecting their campus, even after being alerted, and are now experiencing the repercussions," Jackson added.

This week, Trump intensified his ongoing dispute with Harvard by preventing the nation’s oldest university from enrolling international students. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated that the administration was holding the prestigious institution accountable for “promoting violence, antisemitism, and collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.”

Noem explained on Thursday that revoking the SEVP certification would compel international students already attending Harvard to transfer to another institution or risk losing their legal status.

In response, Harvard described the administration's decision as “unlawful” and filed a lawsuit in court on Friday morning. Shortly after, a federal judge issued a temporary block on the administration’s choice to revoke the school’s SEVP certification. 

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) until she can hear additional arguments. A hearing is scheduled for May 29 to discuss whether a longer pause is warranted.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated that the American electorate chose Trump, “not arbitrary local judges with their own liberal agendas, to lead the country.”

“These appointed judges lack the authority to prevent the Trump Administration from exercising its legitimate control over immigration and national security policies,” Jackson commented regarding the order.

The editorial board of The Journal, which has previously critiqued the president on various issues such as his tariff policy and pardoning of January 6 defendants, expressed that the university will likely succeed “on the law,” but noted that “until the courts resolve the issues, thousands of students who have done nothing wrong will remain in legal uncertainty. Some of these students may have even opposed the anti-Israel demonstrations and could ohave originatedfrom Israel. Why penalize them?”

The board cautioned that the administration's decision could ultimately harm the nation’s capacity to attract “talented young individuals who contribute their innovation and intellectual resources to the U.S.”

“Non-citizens represented over half of the doctoral degrees in AI-related fields in 2022. Many have secured positions at U.S. firms such as Nvidia or launched their own ventures,” the board remarked.

Harvard has been resisting the Trump administration's pressure campaign, which has involved cutting research funding and threats to its tax-exempt status, for several months.