The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), known for its groundbreaking research and innovation, is currently under significant pressure from recent federal actions against leading U.S. universities, including Harvard and Columbia.
The situation has escalated to the point where at least nine individuals, including recent graduates and post-doctoral researchers, have had their visas abruptly revoked without any prior warning. Confirmed by MIT President Sally Kornbluth in a letter, she expressed her deep concern about the potential harm this could cause to the future of American education and research.
The latest crackdown appears to be a broader effort by the Trump administration to tighten immigration policies and curb campus activism. Similar actions have already impacted hundreds of individuals across various campuses nationwide. President Kornbluth warned that this trend could potentially deter international talent, thereby damaging the United States' longstanding lead in the fields of science and innovation.
The shock of these sudden visa revocations has led to legal pushback. One student affected by the visa cancellation has taken legal action against the U.S. government, according to Kornbluth. The revocations occurred without any clear explanation or prior notice, leading to heightened concern within the MIT community.
MIT's Legal Battle
Kornbluth emphasized that these policies are disrupting the university's normal operations and causing alarm within the international community and the campus as a whole. In addition to the visa revocations, MIT is also intervening in a federal lawsuit against a new rule from the Department of Energy.
The new rule imposes a cap on indirect cost reimbursement rates for government-funded research at 15 percent. Historically, universities have received larger amounts of funding to offset the cost of federally funded research. This funding is now at risk, with nearly 1,000 MIT researchers relying on it.
The impact of these federal actions extends beyond MIT. Reports indicate that nearly 530 students, faculty, and researchers from 88 institutions have experienced similar visa revocations.
Harvard University was recently singled out when the government froze $2.2 billion in federal funding after rejecting a request made by the institution. Officials insisted that institutions need to dismantle diversity offices and start re-screening processes for international students.
