Washington, DC [US], May 23 (ANI): The Trump administration has revoked Harvard University’s authority to enroll international students, citing noncompliance with federal policy demands. The move, confirmed by CNN and announced Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), threatens the academic futures of thousands of foreign students and escalates an ongoing conflict between the university and the federal government.
According to a DHS statement, Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification has been terminated. “Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,” the statement said. This decision could impact more than 6,700 international students—27.2% of the student body—enrolled during the 2024–25 academic year.
The administration’s action followed Harvard’s refusal to comply with a DHS request to hand over conduct records of foreign students, originally demanded in April. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem directed the revocation, alleging that Harvard failed to take appropriate actions to address student misconduct and antisemitism on campus.
At a press briefing, the White House emphasized that “enrolling foreign students is a privilege, not a right,” and accused Harvard of turning “their once-great institution into a hotbed of anti-American, antisemitic, pro-terrorist agitators.” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated, “They have repeatedly failed to take action to address the widespread problems negatively impacting American students, and now they must face the consequences of their actions.”
The administration’s broader demands have included sweeping changes to Harvard’s programming, administrative structure, and hiring practices. These include eliminating initiatives associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which the administration labels as “racist,” and conducting ideological audits of staff and students to identify what it called “pro-Hamas sympathizers.”
Harvard leadership has pushed back, describing these requirements as violations of academic freedom and constitutional overreach. “This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” university spokesperson Jason Newton said. “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.”
While Harvard has complied in limited ways, such as renaming its Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging to “Community and Campus Life,” it has refused to meet more intrusive demands, such as implementing viewpoint-based audits.
In a letter to Harvard, Secretary Noem accused the university of “perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ practices.” Noem later told Fox News, “This should be a warning to every other university to get your act together.”
In addition to the SEVP revocation, the Trump administration has frozen $2.2 billion in federal funds earmarked for Harvard and is pursuing legal avenues to revoke its tax-exempt status, according to CNN sources. Harvard is currently challenging these measures in court.
The administration’s actions are part of a wider campaign targeting multiple U.S. universities it claims are fostering environments of intolerance and ideological extremism. Critics say the measures are punitive and politically motivated, while supporters argue they are necessary to preserve campus safety and national values. (ANI)
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