U.S.: "Harvard International Students Stripped of Enrollment Rights"
"Current Students Also Must Transfer"
Strongest Measure Yet Following Financial Aid Freeze

The Trump administration, currently in conflict with Harvard University over its perceived left-leaning ideology, has abruptly revoked the school’s eligibility to enroll international students. In order for a university to host international students, it must receive official certification from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). By denying this certification, the administration has effectively barred Harvard from admitting international students. This unprecedented measure is expected to affect not only future applicants but also currently enrolled students, sparking widespread confusion and concern.

Last month, the Trump administration ramped up pressure on Harvard by canceling billions of dollars in federal funding. Now, it's escalating its efforts by considering revoking the university's tax-exempt status.

DHS Revokes Harvard’s SEVP Certification

On the 22nd of May (local time), DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced via the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Harvard had lost its certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) due to non-compliance with federal laws. SEVP is a DHS-run program that oversees student visas. Without SEVP certification, universities cannot issue Form I-20, a key document required for international students to obtain visas.

DHS released an official statement explaining that Harvard is no longer permitted to admit foreign students and that those already enrolled must transfer to another school or face losing their legal immigration status. According to NBC, international students made up approximately 27% of Harvard’s student body as of 2023 — around 6,000 individuals. Including visiting scholars, postdoctoral researchers, and short-term trainees, the number reaches nearly 9,970.

DHS claimed that Harvard created an unsafe campus environment by allowing “anti-American and pro-terrorist agitators” — many of them foreign — to harass and physically assault others, including Jewish students, thereby disrupting the learning environment. The department further accused Harvard of cooperating with the Chinese Communist Party, alleging that the university invited and trained members of Chinese paramilitary organizations involved in the genocide of Uyghurs.

This decision follows a demand last month by Secretary Noem for Harvard to submit documentation by April 30 regarding allegedly illegal and violent actions by international students. At the time, she warned that failure to comply would result in revocation of certification.

War Declared Over Alleged Promotion of Anti-Semitism

The Trump administration has effectively declared war on Harvard, citing alleged promotion of antisemitism as a pretext. The administration began its campaign last month, targeting both Columbia University — a hub of pro-Palestinian protests — and Harvard for opposing the administration's stance.

A multi-agency task force of eight federal departments canceled USD 2.2 billion in scheduled federal funding to Harvard last month. On May 13, an additional USD 450 million was revoked.

Beyond financial sanctions, the administration is also reviewing the possibility of revoking Harvard's tax-exempt status as a nonprofit educational institution. On April 15, former President Trump stated, “If Harvard continues to push political and ideological ‘pathologies,’ it will lose its tax exemption.”

Republican lawmakers have also joined the fray. Representatives John Moolenaar, Tim Walberg, and Elise Stefanik accused Harvard of hosting and training members of Chinese paramilitary groups and announced plans to launch a formal investigation into the university’s ties to the Chinese government. In a letter to Harvard, the lawmakers demanded information on how the university ensures safety in research collaborations — particularly concerning organ transplantation — with Chinese-based scholars, some of whom are allegedly connected to China’s military or state-sponsored programs.

“Funding Cuts Violate First Amendment Right to Free Speech”

Harvard immediately pushed back. In a statement released on the 22nd, the university said, “The Trump administration’s actions are unlawful,” adding, “Students and scholars from over 140 countries greatly enrich our university and this country in immeasurable ways.” The university emphasized its commitment to resisting political interference, with the president and nearly 100 senior faculty and administrators voluntarily taking pay cuts as a gesture of solidarity.

Harvard is also considering additional legal action. The university has already filed a lawsuit in federal court in Massachusetts and is scheduled for oral arguments on July 21. In its complaint, Harvard accuses the Trump administration of launching a sweeping campaign to seize control over the university’s academic decision-making. It noted similar sudden funding cuts have occurred at other major universities.

The complaint also alleges that the administration violated the First Amendment by attempting to control what Harvard professors are allowed to teach their students. Furthermore, it criticizes the administration for failing to provide any clear link between its purported concerns about antisemitism and the freezing of funds related to critical research in medicine, science, and technology.

The lawsuit names Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Acting GSA Administrator Stephen Echekian, and Attorney General Pamela Bondi as defendants.