The Trump administration has revoked Harvard University’s authority to enroll international students under the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program, a move announced Thursday by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The decision, effective immediately, could force thousands of foreign students to leave Harvard or transfer to other institutions across the United States.
In a letter to the university, Secretary Noem accused Harvard of creating an unsafe campus environment and collaborating with foreign adversaries, including the Chinese Communist Party. The letter further alleged that Harvard permitted anti-American and pro-terrorist agitators, many of whom are foreign nationals, to harass and physically assault individuals, including Jewish students, and to foment unrest on campus. Noem also claimed that Harvard engaged in coordinated activity with the Chinese Communist Party and hosted members of a Chinese paramilitary group allegedly linked to human rights abuses against the Uyghur population.
Secretary Noem stated that the administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence and antisemitism, emphasizing that hosting foreign students is a privilege, not a right. She noted that Harvard had been given an opportunity to provide information about the conduct of foreign students on campus but refused to comply with the Department of Homeland Security’s requests. Last month, DHS also terminated $2.7 million in grants to Harvard.
Harvard University has responded by filing a lawsuit in federal court, accusing the government of using the threat of withholding $2.2 billion in federal funding to impose political oversight on the university. The lawsuit claims the administration’s actions violate the First Amendment and federal law, describing them as arbitrary and capricious. Harvard is seeking a court order to invalidate the funding freeze and the conditions tied to federal grants.
The Trump administration has defended its actions as necessary to counter antisemitism and address concerns over campus unrest and foreign influence. Harvard, however, has refused to yield to political pressure and maintains that international students are vital to the university’s academic community. The revocation of Harvard’s SEVP certification marks a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Trump administration and elite academic institutions over issues of campus safety, free speech, and foreign influence.
