Harvard University condemns Trump admin’s ban of foreign student enrollment as ‘unlawful’
Harvard University has strongly condemned the Trump administration’s decision to revoke its ability to enroll international students, calling the move illegal and retaliatory. The action, which affects thousands of foreign students, comes amid an escalating conflict between the Ivy League institution and the federal government.
In a statement released on Thursday, Harvard said the decision by the Department of Homeland Security “threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”
Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton, as quoted by Harvard Magazine, said, “The government’s action is unlawful. 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.
“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,” Newton added.
The action could impact nearly 6,800 foreign students currently enrolled at Harvard, who make up approximately 27.3 percent of the student body.
“In fiscal year 2024, student-related income (such as tuition, room, and board fees, minus University-provided financial aid) was about $1.4 billion, representing approximately 21 percent of Harvard’s total operating revenue. International students typically pay closer to the full cost of a Harvard education than students from the United States,” Harvard Magazine reported.
Certification revoked over refusal to share records
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the termination of Harvard’s certification to participate in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), effective from the 2025–2026 academic year. The department cited Harvard’s refusal to provide records related to foreign students, including surveillance of protest activity over the past five years, as a reason for the revocation.
“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, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment. Many of these agitators are foreign students,” a DHS news release published on May 22 read.
“Harvard’s leadership further facilitated, and engaged in coordinated activity with the CCP, including hosting and training members of a CCP paramilitary group complicit in the Uyghur genocide,” it further stated.
“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” said Noem.
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She added: “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.
“Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country,” Noem’s statement read.
Political and legal fallout
The move has drawn sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers. US Representative Jaime Raskin called it “an intolerable attack on Harvard’s independence and academic freedom” and suggested it was retaliation for the university’s earlier refusal to comply with Trump administration demands.
Indian-origin lawmaker Pramila Jayapal said, “This is a remarkably dangerous and unlawful action from the Trump Administration. The decision to revoke Harvard’s SEVP certification is solely to settle a score and shut down any dissent, not to protect our national security.
“This decision will now throw thousands of students’ lives into limbo as they face an uncertain future in a foreign land that had previously welcomed them and their talents. As a foreign student myself when I first came to America, I can only imagine the sacrifices, the planning and the investment that has already gone into the decision to come here — to revoke these visas now is outrageous.
“This action simply deters talent from coming to the United States, and is nothing more than a wannabe dictator trying to bully people into silence. It will weaken our educational institutions and our ability to innovate and hurt America and Americans,” Jayapal added.
In recent weeks, the administration has frozen over USD 3 billion in federal grants to Harvard, prompting the university to initiate legal action to restore funding.
On Monday, May 19, the Department of Health and Human Services also announced it was halting an additional USD 60 million in grants, citing Harvard’s alleged failure to address antisemitic and ethnic discrimination on campus.
Separately, a federal judge ruled on Thursday that the administration cannot revoke the legal status of foreign students nationwide without following proper regulatory procedures. It now remains unclear how this decision will affect the revocation of Harvard’s SEVP certification, as per reports.
Other US universities warned
During an appearance on Fox News, Secretary Noem confirmed that the administration is considering similar actions against other institutions, including Columbia University. “Absolutely, we are,” she said. “This should be a warning to every other university to get your act together.”
The administration’s crackdown follows President Trump’s pledge to overhaul American higher education, which he claims has become a hub for “radical left” ideologies.
The Trump administration has specifically targeted students and institutions involved in pro-Palestinian protests, attempting to revoke student visas and green cards of participants.
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Impact of the ban
According to Harvard, Chinese nationals constituted the largest group of international students in 2022, followed by students from Canada, India, South Korea, and other nations.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow with the American Immigration Council, criticised the administration’s actions. “This needlessly punishes thousands of innocent students,” he said, as quoted by Reuters. “None of them have done anything wrong, they’re just collateral damage to Trump.”
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