The Trump administration on Thursday rescinded Harvard University’s authority to enrol international students, issuing a severe rebuke to the prestigious institution for resisting its policy demands.
“Harvard may no longer enrol foreign students, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,” stated the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem directed the department to revoke Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP), citing the university’s refusal to hand over conduct records of foreign students requested last month.
The move could affect over a quarter of Harvard’s highly international student population, sparking anxiety and uncertainty. Academics warn that the potential departure of foreign students could diminish the university’s academic standing, even as it defends its ideological independence from federal interference.
The White House remarked, “Enrolling foreign students is a privilege, not a right,” accusing Harvard’s leadership of transforming “their once-great institution into a hotbed of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators.”
“They have consistently failed to take steps to resolve issues adversely affecting American students and must now face the consequences,” said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson.
Harvard and Trump officials have clashed for months, with the administration demanding changes in programming, policies, hiring practices, and admissions to counter alleged on-campus antisemitism and eliminate what it terms “racist diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices.” The administration has particularly targeted international students and staff it claims were involved in protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Harvard’s leadership argues that many of the administration’s demands — including a proposed “audit” of student and staff viewpoints — exceed federal authority and infringe on the university’s constitutional rights.
Although several American universities face similar demands, Harvard has stood out as the most determined in defending its academic autonomy.
The university swiftly denounced the SEVP revocation as “unlawful,” declaring its unwavering commitment to supporting international students and scholars from over 140 countries, who “enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably.”
“We are working quickly to support our community,” said Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton. “This retaliatory act poses grave harm to the Harvard community and undermines our academic and research mission.”
Harvard reports an international academic community of 9,970 people, including 6,793 students — 27.2% of its 2024–25 enrolment.
Like many institutions, Harvard has faced criticism for its handling of pro-Palestinian protests and encampments following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, as well as concerns raised by Jewish students and alumni regarding antisemitism.
Recent task force reports concluded that both Jewish and Muslim students at Harvard felt unsafe during the 2023–24 academic year, reporting alienation and censorship. Recommendations included policy reforms, some of which the university has already implemented.
Harvard has also made efforts to comply with government requests, such as renaming its Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging to “Community and Campus Life.”
Still, in a letter on Thursday, Noem accused the university of fostering “an unsafe campus hostile to Jewish students, promoting pro-Hamas sympathies and employing racist DEI practices.” She did not mention Muslim or Arab students.
The administration has imposed harsh retaliatory measures, including freezing $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts — a move Harvard is now contesting in court. Sources also told CNN that the Internal Revenue Service is preparing to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status.
The Trump administration appears to be using Harvard as an example, warning other institutions of similar consequences.
“This should be a warning to every other university to get your act together,” Noem said on Fox News.
Shock and Outrage from Students and Staff
Many students and staff at Harvard have reacted with shock and dismay, leaving thousands in limbo as they contemplate losing their connection to a university they fought hard to join.
“Many of us have worked our entire lives to get to a university like Harvard,” said Karl Molden, a junior from Austria. “Now we must wait and see if we must transfer and face visa issues.”
Travelling abroad, Molden fears he may not be allowed to return. He said students are exchanging anxious messages — some uncertain about completing internships, others worried about losing Harvard’s generous financial aid.
International students, he said, are being used as “pawns in a broader struggle between democracy and authoritarianism.”
“Coming from Austria, I recognise how authoritarians can dismantle democracies. What I’ve seen recently in the US resembles that,” he said.
Academic staff expressed alarm, warning that expelling international students would harm the university’s intellectual vitality and damage American academia at large.
Harvard economics professor and former Obama adviser Jason Furman called the decision “horrendous on every level.”
“Our international students are invaluable to innovation, to Harvard, and to the US,” he said. “Higher education is a leading American export and a pillar of soft power. This must be reversed before more harm is done.”
Another professor told CNN that if the policy is enforced, “many labs will empty out.”
Australia’s Ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, called the decision “deeply distressing” for Australian students at Harvard and confirmed his office is offering them consular support.
Harvard’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors issued a statement strongly condemning the administration’s “unconstitutional assault on international students,” describing the decision as an escalation in a campaign of intimidation against foreign scholars.
“International students are essential members of the Harvard community,” the statement read.