According to a press release issued Thursday, May 22, the Department of Homeland Security has revoked Harvard University’s certification to participate in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). “This means Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,” the agency announced.
Ongoing disputes with the Trump administration
There have been ongoing disputes between Harvard and the federal government for months. The Trump administration has launched probes into the elite university over concerns of antisemitism on campus.
In April, the U.S. federal government froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard a few hours after the university publicly refused to terminate its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Harvard then filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, calling the revoking of federal grant money unconstitutional and unlawful.
“Before taking punitive action, the law requires that the federal government engage with us about the ways we are fighting and will continue to fight antisemitism,” Harvard University President Alan Garber said in a statement to the Harvard Gazette after filing the lawsuit. “Instead, the government’s April 11 demands seek to control whom we hire and what we teach.”
Legal clash over federal investigation
According to The New York Times, the Trump administration decided to halt Harvard’s foreign student program days after the university allegedly questioned the legality of extensive records requests made by the government as part of a Department of Homeland Security investigation.
On April 16, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Harvard to provide the government with data on crimes or misconduct by international students. According to the DHS release, she warned that failure to comply would result in the university’s termination of its ability to enroll foreign students.
Administration accuses Harvard of misconduct
Noem released a statement accusing Harvard of having involvement in or allowing dangerous behavior on campus — specifically violence, antisemitism and alleged collaboration with the Chinese government.
“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,” Noem said in a statement. “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.”
Harvard responds to revocation
The New York Times spoke to Jason Newton, the university’s director of media relations.
“We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the university and this nation immeasurably. We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” Newton told the Times.
Financial stakes and student impact
Nearly 6,800 international students are enrolled at Harvard, according to university data. That represents roughly 27% of the student body, up from 19.7% in 2010.
International students are crucial to the school’s finances because they typically do not receive financial aid and pay full tuition. Harvard’s annual tuition is $59,320, and total costs can reach $87,000 with room and board. If the government blocks Harvard from enrolling international students, it could severely impact the university financially.
