0
0
Harvard University has strongly condemned the Trump administration’s decision to revoke its ability to enroll international students, calling the move “unlawful” and retaliatory. The prestigious institution, which hosts students from more than 140 countries, warned that the decision would significantly harm both its academic mission and the broader national interest.
In a statement issued Friday, May 23, Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton emphasized the university’s commitment to supporting those affected by the federal action. “We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host international students and scholars,” he stated. “This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”
The decision comes amid rising tensions between the Trump administration and major academic institutions. During the 2024–2025 academic year, more than 6,000 international students were enrolled at Harvard, representing over 27% of the student body. The university noted that these students typically pay close to the full cost of tuition, making their enrollment a significant financial resource.
This latest move follows a series of confrontations between the White House and leading universities, including a $2.2 billion freeze on Harvard’s federal funding last month. That freeze was reportedly linked to Harvard’s refusal to meet a set of demands from the Trump administration. In the wake of that standoff, the Department of Homeland Security launched an investigation, citing Harvard’s alleged failure to address issues including antisemitism and foreign influence on campus.
Defending the revocation, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that Harvard lost its certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) due to a “failure to adhere to the law.” She accused the university of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party,” adding, “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.”
The administration outlined six conditions Harvard must meet to regain SEVP certification. These include submitting disciplinary records and surveillance footage involving non-immigrant students over the past five years, providing documentation of any threats or rights violations involving those students, and fully disclosing any illegal or violent acts attributed to international students.
This crackdown forms part of President Trump’s broader initiative to impose stricter oversight on universities, particularly regarding antisemitism. That effort gained momentum with a January 29 executive order aimed at protecting Jewish students following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, which triggered a prolonged and deadly conflict in Gaza.
As the legal and political ramifications continue to unfold, Harvard and other institutions are expected to mount legal challenges that could reshape the landscape of international education in the United States.
