Trump Bars Harvard from Enrolling Foreign Students

The Trump administration has revoked Harvard University's authority to enrol international students, intensifying its campaign against one of the country’s most prestigious academic institutions. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that Harvard's certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program would be terminated starting with the 2025–2026 academic year.

As a result, foreign students currently studying at Harvard must transfer to other institutions or risk losing their legal status in the United States. The administration has also signalled that similar actions could be taken against other universities.

Noem accused Harvard of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.” She asserted that hosting international students is a privilege, not a right, and criticised the university for using their tuition to support its multibillion-dollar endowment.

Harvard responded by calling the decision illegal and retaliatory, warning it would cause significant harm to the university community and the country. The university stated that it remains fully committed to educating international students and condemned the administration's demands for student records, including footage of protest activity from the past five years.

The decision comes after Harvard refused to comply with federal requests for detailed information on certain foreign students. Noem offered to reinstate the certification if the university produces the requested records within 72 hours.

In the 2024–2025 academic year, Harvard enrolled approximately 6,800 international students—27% of its student body. The largest group came from China, followed by students from Canada, India, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Singapore, and Japan.

The revocation drew strong criticism from several lawmakers, who described it as an attack on academic freedom and a politically motivated retaliation. Harvard has also filed a lawsuit to restore around $3 billion in frozen federal grants. An additional $60 million in funding was recently cut after accusations that the university failed to address antisemitic and ethnic discrimination on campus.

A federal judge ruled that the administration cannot revoke international students’ legal status without following appropriate regulatory procedures. It is not yet clear how this ruling will affect the decision against Harvard.

Asked whether other universities, such as Columbia, could face similar measures, Noem confirmed that further actions are being considered. “This should be a warning to every other university to get your act together,” she said.

Since returning to office, President Trump has launched a broad campaign to reshape higher education, accusing universities of promoting anti-American ideologies and hiring individuals with political affiliations he opposes. Critics argue that the move against Harvard is part of a broader effort to suppress dissent and punish institutions that challenge his policies.