The Trump administration has escalated its dispute with Harvard University by revoking its certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), effectively barring it from enrolling international students.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the decision on X, stating that Harvard failed to comply with legal requirements. She also warned other academic institutions to take note of the administration’s actions.
Harvard strongly condemned the move, calling it unlawful and retaliatory. The university emphasized the critical role international students play in enriching its academic and research environment and pledged to support those affected.
The decision, which impacts over 6,700 international students—27% of Harvard’s student population—has caused widespread concern and confusion among students just days before graduation.
Australian student Sarah Davis described the abrupt change as disruptive, with many now uncertain about their ability to remain in the U.S. after graduation. Swedish undergraduate Leo Gerdén called the situation “dehumanising,” saying international students were being used as political pawns.
Tensions between Harvard and the administration had been building for months. The university recently sued the government over its demands, which included changing policies related to hiring, admissions, and teaching to combat antisemitism. The administration had also threatened to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status and freeze federal funding.
The DHS letter gives Harvard 72 hours to meet a list of demands to possibly restore its SEVP access. These include turning over disciplinary records for non-immigrant students from the past five years and providing evidence of any “illegal or violent” activity involving them.
While a California court blocked a separate policy aiming to strip visa status from international students, the latest move underscores the administration’s aggressive stance on higher education institutions.
Students like Gerdén argue that the action strikes at the core of academic freedom and the values that drew them to the U.S. “Without international students, Harvard is simply not Harvard anymore,” he said.
