The Trump administration has revoked Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students, escalating its clash with elite academic institutions.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Thursday it had withdrawn the school’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, citing concerns over campus safety and alleged foreign influence.
“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.
The decision blocks new international student admissions and puts the legal status of nearly 6,800 current foreign students at risk unless they transfer to another certified institution.
Harvard said it would challenge the move and support affected students.
“The government’s action is unlawful,” the Ivy League university said in a statement.
“We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably,” a university spokesperson said.
DHS cites campus environment, links to China
In its statement, DHS accused Harvard leadership of creating an “unsafe campus environment,” alleging that anti-American and pro-terrorist elements had targeted students, particularly those who are Jewish.
It also claimed the university’s administration had coordinated with the Chinese Communist Party.
“Harvard’s leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students,” the department stated.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem had earlier demanded that Harvard submit information on potentially unlawful activity by foreign students by April 30.
On Thursday, she reiterated the administration’s broader goals.
“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” Noem said.
Broader tensions over federal oversight
The move compounds existing tensions between the university and the federal government.
The administration has already frozen federal research funding to Harvard and demanded wide-ranging reforms, including changes to faculty hiring, admissions, and campus governance.
The White House has also floated revoking the university’s tax-exempt status.
Harvard has pushed back, filing lawsuits and defending its autonomy. President Alan Garber said the university would not “surrender its independence or its constitutional rights.”
While acknowledging antisemitism is a concern, he has warned that the administration’s demands risk undermining academic freedom.
The restrictions come amid broader criticism of US universities in the wake of campus protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The Trump administration has framed its actions as an effort to combat antisemitism and curb perceived ideological bias at major institutions.
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