The Trump administration on Thursday barred Harvard University from enrolling international students, CNN reported. The decision comes after Harvard University refused to agree to the administration’s policy demands.
In a statement, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated, “Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status.”
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem directed her department to end Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, over the university’s refusal to turn over the conduct records of foreign students requested by the DHS in April.
The administration’s decision could affect more than a quarter of Harvard’s heavily international student body, who have been worried by the announcement. Professors have warned that a mass exodus of foreign students threatens to restrain the institution’s academic prowess even as it fights against the Trump administration for its ideological autonomy, according to CNN report.
On Thursday, the White House said, “Enrolling foreign students is a privilege, not a right.” It accused Harvard leadership of turning “their once-great institution into a hot-bed of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators.”
In a statement to CNN, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, “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.”
Harvard and the Trump administration have been engaged in a conflict for months as the administration demands the university make changes to the programming of the institution, hiring and administration to remove on-campus antisemitism and remove what it termed “racist ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ practices.” The administration has targeted foreign students and employees, it believes were part of the contentious campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
However, the university leadership said that many of the requests, including an “audit” of the “viewpoint” of its students and staff, go far beyond the role of the federal government and may breach the constitutional rights of Harvard.
Harvard is among dozens of US universities facing similar demands from the Trump administration. However, it has not refused to agree to the demands and has defended academic independence.
The university condemned the SEVP revocation, calling it “unlawful” and said in a statement that it is “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.”
Harvard University spokesperson Jason Newton said, “We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”
According to the university, it has 9,970 people in its international academic population, and data shows 6,793 international students comprise 27.2 per cent of its enrollment in the 2024-25 academic year.
Harvard has made some changes in its policy to comply with the Trump administration’s requests, including changing the name of its Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging to Community and Campus Life.
In a letter to Harvard on Thursday, Kristi 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.”
The Trump administration has imposed several retaliatory measures against Harvard, including freezing USD 2.2 billion in federal funds – a move the university is fighting in court. The Internal Revenue Service is also planning to rescind Harvard’s tax-exempt status, CNN reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
The Trump administration seems to use Harvard as an example, as it threatens similar punishment to other institutions if they do not agree to their demands. While speaking to Fox News, Noem said, “This should be a warning to every other university to get your act together.” (ANI)
