The Trump administration has revoked Harvard University, one of America’s most prestigious academic institutions, of its authority to enroll international students, following a long-standing dispute over campus policies
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday that Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students has been revoked.
“Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,” the department stated
Backstory
Nairametrics reported that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), led by Secretary Kristi Noem, announced the termination of two grants to Harvard University totaling over $2.7 million. These grants were part of federal funding initiatives aimed at various research and public health programs.
The DHS cited concerns over Harvard’s alleged failure to address antisemitism and its handling of campus protests as reasons for the funding cuts.
Secretary Noem emphasized that with Harvard’s substantial endowment of $53.2 billion, the university could fund its own initiatives without relying on taxpayer dollars.
In addition to the grant terminations, the DHS threatened to revoke Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) if the university failed to comply with federal demands for information on international students involved in alleged illegal or violent activities.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem warned that if Harvard cannot verify full compliance with reporting requirements, it will lose the privilege to enroll foreign students
These actions are part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to hold universities accountable for what it perceives as ideological biases and failures to address campus antisemitism. Harvard has expressed its commitment to combating antisemitism while defending its autonomy and constitutional rights. The university indicated its intention to challenge these federal actions legally.
Impact on students and faculty
Harvard says 27.2% of its students for the 2024–25 academic year are international, totaling 6,793 individuals from 140 countries.
These students now face uncertainty regarding their visa status, studies, and future opportunities.
Karl Molden, a rising junior from Austria, expressed worry that international students like himself, who worked hard to attend Harvard, now face visa uncertainties.
“Many of us have worked our entire lives to get to a university like Harvard, and now we need to wait around and see if we might have to transfer out and face difficulties with visas.”
“International students are being used as a ‘play ball in this larger fight between democracy and authoritarianism,” he said
Jason Furman, Harvard economics professor and former Obama official, stressed that international students are vital to Harvard, innovation, and America’s global influence through higher education.
“It is impossible to imagine Harvard without our amazing international students. They are a huge benefit to everyone here, to innovation and the United States more broadly.”
He described the policy as horrendous on every level and emphasized that higher education is one of America’s great exports and a key source of our soft power.
