Harvard students and faculty applaud defiance of Trump's demands

Harvard University’s defiance of the Trump administration Monday brought repercussions for the institution — but widespread support on campus and beyond.

Harvard University’s defiance of the Trump administration Monday brought instant repercussions for the institution — and a burst of jubilation from some on campus and in the broader education world who’ve clamored for an elite school to take a stand. 

“If Harvard can’t do it, then who can?” said Michael Bronski, a professor in the university's Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality program. “It’s always right to make the most moral decision, and we’ll see what the outcome is.” 

Harvard's lawyers sent a letter Monday rejecting a list of demands the Trump administration had sent the school as part of an ongoing review of several universities over allegations of antisemitism. 

In a statement posted online, Harvard President Alan Garber referred to the demands as “an attempt to control the Harvard community” and vowed to fight back. “The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” he wrote. 

The administration’s sweeping demands would have required the university to restrict the acceptance of international students who are “hostile to the American values and institutions” and report to the Department of Homeland Security any foreign-born student who violates Harvard’s code of conduct, among other measures. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/harvard-stand-against-trump-rcna201322

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