The Trump administration has stripped Harvard University of its authority to enroll international students, intensifying the ongoing conflict between the federal government and one of the nation’s most prestigious academic institutions.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program has been terminated. This move prohibits the university from admitting new international students and puts the immigration status of current foreign students at risk unless they transfer to another institution.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem cited Harvard’s refusal to hand over conduct records of foreign students, requested by DHS last month, as the reason for the decision. In an official letter to the university, Noem accused Harvard of fostering an unsafe campus climate that she said was hostile to Jewish students, supportive of pro-Hamas sympathies, and reliant on racist diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
This should serve as a warning to universities nationwide, the DHS said in a statement accompanying the decision.
The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to confront elite universities over campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict and to dismantle DEI programs that it claims promote reverse discrimination.
Harvard condemned the federal action as unlawful and reaffirmed its commitment to its international students and scholars, who hail from over 140 countries.
We are moving swiftly to offer guidance and support to our affected community members, said university spokesperson Jason Newton. This retaliatory measure poses serious harm not only to Harvard, but to the nation’s academic and research missions.
Currently, Harvard’s international population numbers nearly 10,000, with foreign students making up more than 27% of its student body for the 2024–2025 academic year.
Faculty members voiced concern that the revocation could diminish Harvard’s academic excellence and damage the global standing of American higher education.
The White House defended the decision, stating, Enrollment of foreign students is a privilege, not a right, and accused Harvard of cultivating an anti-American and anti-Semitic culture.
Harvard has allowed its campus to become a hub for pro-terrorist activism and has failed to enact meaningful change, said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson. They are now facing the consequences.
Harvard economics professor Jason Furman sharply criticized the administration’s move, calling it horrendous on every level.
Harvard without its international students is unimaginable, Furman said. They are vital to innovation and American global influence. Higher education is one of our most valuable exports and a cornerstone of soft power. This decision must be reversed before irreversible harm is done.