Trump's DHS revokes Harvard's ability to enroll international students

The Trump administration has stopped Harvard University from enrolling international students. There are some 1.1 million foreign students in the United States, over 500,000 of them in graduate programs. This revocation from DHS comes after the agency ended $2.7 million in grants to the school.

"Harvard’s leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment. Many of these agitators are foreign students," reads a notice from DHS. "Harvard’s leadership further facilitated, and engaged in coordinated activity with the CCP, including hosting and training members of a CCP paramilitary group complicit in the Uyghur genocide."

Harvard, like many American schools, use tuition from foreign students, who pay the full ticket price, as an essential funding source. About 6,800 foreign students were enrolled at the Cambridge school this year, representing 27 percent of the student body.

"I am writing to inform you that effective immediately, Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification is revoked," read the letter to Harvard President Alan M. Garber from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, viewed by The New York Times. 

Noem alleged in the letter that the school had failed to conform to demands from the agency, such as "simple reporting requirements," and that the school "perpetuat[ed] 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."

"The revocation would prevent Harvard from enrolling any international students on F- or J- nonimmigrant visas for the 2025-2026 academic year. Harvard currently hosts at least 6,000 international students, many of whom attend on F-1 or J-1 visas," The Harvard Crimson notes. International students who are currently enrolled will have to transfer to a different school, change their immigration status, or leave the country.

A statement from Noem reads: "This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus. It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country."

Harvard was notified about the new restriction, which follows the suspension of federal funds to the storied Ivy League school that counts many American presidents among its graduates. Harvard, the Times notes, is likely to pursue legal action in response. This would join their already ongoing suit against the government. The school has been under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security. 

"Harvard University brazenly refused to provide the required information requested and ignored a follow up request from the Department’s Office of General Council. Secretary Noem is following through on her promise to protect students and prohibit terrorist sympathizers from receiving benefits from the U.S. government," said DHS.