Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign nationals – more than a quarter of its student body – in a sharp escalation of the president’s battle with the prestigious university.
Harvard, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, quickly condemned the move as “unlawful,” warning it would harm both the campus community and the nation, while students described the campus atmosphere as “panicking.”
Trump’s anger stems from Harvard’s refusal to submit to his demands for oversight on admissions and hiring, citing allegations that the university fosters anti-Semitism and promotes “woke” liberal ideology.
Losing such a significant portion of international students could deal a major financial blow to Harvard, which charges tens of thousands of dollars in annual tuition.
“Effective immediately, Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) program certification is revoked,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a letter to the Ivy League institution, referring to the main system that permits foreign students to study in the U.S.
Harvard, which has sued the government over a separate set of punitive measures, quickly fired back, calling the move “unlawful.”
“We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars,” it said in a statement, adding that it was working to offer students guidance and support.
“This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”
Karl Molden, an international student from Austria, said he had applied to study at Oxford in Britain because he feared such measures.
“It’s scary and it’s saddening,” the 21-year-old government and classics student told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“I love Harvard, and getting into the school has been the greatest privilege of my life.
“It’s definitely going to change the perception of ... students who might consider studying there – the U.S. is becoming a less attractive spot for higher education.”
Leaders of the Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors called the move “the latest in a string of nakedly authoritarian and retaliatory moves against America’s oldest institution of higher education.”
“The Trump administration is unlawfully seeking to destroy higher education in the U.S. It now demands that we sacrifice our international students in the process. Universities cannot acquiesce to such extortion,” they said.
Last month, Trump threatened to stop Harvard from enrolling foreign students if it did not agree to government demands that would put the private institution under outside political supervision.
“As I explained to you in my April letter, it is a privilege to enroll foreign students,” Noem wrote.
“All universities must comply with Department of Homeland Security requirements, including reporting requirements under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program regulations, to maintain this privilege,” she said.
“As a result of your refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies, you have lost this privilege.”
More than 27% of Harvard’s enrollment was made up of foreign students in the 2024-25 academic year, according to university data.
Fourth-year U.S. student Alice Goyer told AFP, “no one knows” what the development would mean for international students already enrolled.
“We just got the news, so I’ve been getting texts from a lot of international friends, and I think everyone’s just – no one knows,” she said.
“Everyone’s panicking a bit.”
On whether students would willingly transfer to other institutions, as suggested by Noem in the letter, Goyer said, “I doubt people would do that.”
“I would hope maybe there’s going to be a legal battle that’ll take place.”
