BOSTON, May 23: After freezing its funds,, the Trump administration hasrevoked the school’s authority to enroll international students, triggering panic across the university’s global academic community.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) had been terminated, stripping the university of its ability to accept new international students and placing existing ones at risk of deportation. The move, which affects more than a quarter of Harvard’s student body, was confirmed in a statement by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,” the statement read.
According to Noem, the decision follows Harvard’s refusal to comply with a DHS demand for student conduct records dating back five years, particularly concerning foreign nationals involved in campus protests. Noem warned the university it had 72 hours to submit the records if it hoped to restore its SEVP certification.
The White House echoed the administration’s stance, framing the decision as a justified consequence of Harvard’s resistance to federal directives. “Enrolling foreign students is a privilege, not a right,” said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson. She accused the university of harboring “anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators” and failing to protect Jewish students.
Harvard swiftly condemned the action. “This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” said university spokesperson Jason Newton. “We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community.”
In a public statement, the university labeled the revocation “unlawful” and reaffirmed its commitment to its nearly 10,000 international students and scholars from over 140 countries. Approximately 27.2% of Harvard’s student enrollment for the 2024–25 academic year consists of international students, according to university data.
The administration’s actions follow months of pressure on Harvard and other elite universities to amend diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, respond to accusations of campus antisemitism, and discipline participants in pro-Palestinian demonstrations following the Israel-Hamas war.
A recent internal task force at Harvard acknowledged deep dissatisfaction among both Jewish and Muslim students, citing feelings of alienation and fear on campus. While the university has made some policy changes—such as renaming its equity office—it has pushed back against what it calls unconstitutional overreach by the federal government.
Noem, in a letter shared online, accused the university of fostering an “unsafe campus environment” and demanded detailed video and audio records of foreign students involved in “illegal,” “violent,” or “threatening” activity, including protest participation.
The crackdown isn’t limited to student enrollment. The administration has also frozen $2.2 billion in federal funding to the university and is reportedly considering revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status, CNN reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
For many affected students, the sudden revocation is devastating.
Jared, an incoming sociology freshman from New Zealand, described hearing the news as a “heart drop moment.” “To me, it’s one of, if not the best school in the world,” he said. Now in limbo, he’s considering remote learning options.
Karl Molden, a junior from Austria, said international students have been frantically messaging one another. “Many of us have worked our entire lives to get to a university like Harvard,” he said. “Now we might have to transfer out and face visa difficulties.”
Molden added that he believes international students are being used as a “play ball in this larger fight between democracy and authoritarianism.”
Faculty members have also raised alarm over the potential consequences. “It is impossible to imagine Harvard without our amazing international students,” said economics professor Jason Furman. “They are a huge benefit to everyone here, to innovation and the United States more broadly.”
A second professor told CNN the university’s scientific labs could be gutted if the ban is enforced. “Many labs will empty out,” he warned.
Harvard’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors issued a statement condemning what it called the Trump administration’s “unconstitutional assault” on the international student community. “International students are essential members of the Harvard community,” the group said.
Australia’s ambassador to the U.S., Kevin Rudd, also weighed in, expressing concern for Australian students and pledging consular support.
As Harvard moves to challenge the order, it stands as the highest-profile academic institution facing an existential clash with the federal government—one with potentially far-reaching implications for the future of American higher education.
Read more: Harvard Rejects Trump Demands, Faces Funding Freeze
