The Internal Revenue Service has been called upon to suspend the tax-exempt status of Harvard University in light of the recent attack on Ivy League universities that the Trump administration considers to be “woke.”
As a result of the Trump administration’s refusal to comply with the government’s requests for extensive jurisdiction over the activities of the institution, the university’s financing of $2.3 billion was terminated.
It has been reported that the top attorney at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been asked to revoke the tax-exempt status that is granted to charitable, religious, and educational organisations as well as social welfare groups.
This status is granted on the condition that these organisations comply with tax laws that prohibit them from performing political activities.
There have been concerns raised about the way in which Harvard University deals with antisemitism and diversity procedures.
Andrew De Mello, who is acting as the chief counsel for the Internal Revenue Service, was the one who received the request from authorities in the Treasury Department on Wednesday, according to the story.
The Internal Revenue Service is the only entity that has the right to alter tax-exempt statuses, according to the statement. According to what was stated, the President has no authority to demand that the agency use its authority against taxpayers.
During this time, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of the United States of America has issued a warning to Harvard University, stating that if the university does not comply with the requests made by the Trump administration, it may lose its authority to enrol students from other countries.
Kristi Noem, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has demanded records on alleged criminal acts carried out by Harvard’s international student visa holders by the 30th of April.
According to Noem, if compliance is not verified, your ability to enrol international students may be taken away from you.
Universities that have been the site of pro-Palestinian demonstrations against Israel’s military actions in Gaza have been subject to consequences from the administration of President Trump.
The administration considers these demonstrations to be a danger to the administration’s foreign policy, using allegations of antisemitism and support for Hamas. On the other hand, the demonstrators maintain that they are arguing for the rights of Palestinians.
Additionally, the Trump administration is examining nine billion dollars worth of government contracts and grants that have been awarded to Harvard University.
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In order to maintain funding, the administration has proposed limits, such as the elimination of diversity programs and the prohibition of hiding behind masks.
The university’s refusal to comply with requests that would have resulted in the transfer of power to the government led to the withholding of financing totalling $2.3 billion.
Several other colleges, including Columbia, Princeton, and Northwestern, have also been affected by funding restrictions or cancellations of around the same magnitude.
