WASHINGTON D.C. – The Trump administration has stripped Harvard University of its ability to enroll international students, deepening a months-long standoff with the Ivy League institution and throwing the future of thousands of students into uncertainty.
In a post on X, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) had been revoked due to what she called the university’s “failure to adhere to the law.”
“Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country,” Noem wrote on Thursday.
The move blocks Harvard from enrolling international students on F-1 or J-1 visas for the 2025–2026 academic year.
Harvard is being held accountable for collaboration with the CCP, fostering violence, antisemitism, and pro-terrorist conduct from students on its campus.
It comes just days before commencement and affects over 6,700 international students — roughly 27% of Harvard’s student body.
In a swift response, Harvard called the decision “unlawful” and vowed to fight back.
“This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country,” the university said in a statement. “It undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”
University officials said they are working to provide support and guidance to affected students, who come from more than 140 countries.
Fear and Uncertainty on Campus
News of the revocation spread rapidly across Harvard’s international community on Thursday, sowing panic and disbelief among students already preparing to graduate.
“We’re all just sitting back and waiting to see what the next steps are,” said Sarah Davis, an Australian student at the Harvard Kennedy School. “There’s a lot of confusion.”
Davis, who leads the Australia and New Zealand Caucus at the school, said many students fear they will be forced to leave the U.S. without warning.
“This is five days before graduation. What are we supposed to do now?”
For 22-year-old Swedish undergraduate Leo Gerdén, the announcement was devastating.
“International students are being used as poker chips in a battle between the White House and Harvard,” he said. “It’s incredibly dehumanising.”
A Broader Battle Over Campus Policy
Thursday’s decision follows months of mounting pressure on Harvard by the Trump administration, which has accused the university of failing to combat antisemitism on campus.
In April, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the federal government after receiving a sweeping list of demands that included changes to hiring, admissions, and teaching policies.
Though the White House later claimed the letter was sent by mistake, tensions continued to rise.
The Department of Homeland Security later warned that failure to comply with its requests — including a records sweep of international students — could result in SEVP certification being revoked.
Now, DHS has followed through.
In a letter sent to Harvard on Thursday, Noem gave the university 72 hours to comply with demands in order to potentially regain its certification.
Those demands include submitting disciplinary records, surveillance footage, and digital communications involving non-immigrant students alleged to have participated in “illegal,” “dangerous,” or “violent” activity.
Even as DHS announced the revocation, a federal judge in California issued an injunction temporarily blocking the Trump administration from cancelling the visa status of international students nationwide while legal challenges unfold.
Meanwhile, critics say the administration’s escalating attacks on elite universities are politically motivated and threaten academic freedom.
“We came here because of what America stands for: freedom of speech, academic freedom, a vibrant intellectual community,” said Gerdén. “Now, Trump is threatening all of those values.”
“Without international students, Harvard is simply not Harvard anymore.”
