In a move that could shake the foundations of American higher education, the Trump administration has revoked Harvard University’s certification to enroll international students, citing the university’s failure to comply with federal demands related to student conduct records and campus policies.
As reported by CNN, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed Thursday that the decision effectively bars Harvard from accepting new international students and forces currently enrolled ones to transfer or face the loss of their legal status in the United States.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the termination of Harvard’s participation in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), pointing to the university’s refusal to surrender requested records of foreign students. The administration has zeroed in on Harvard over protests tied to the Israel-Hamas conflict and broader grievances related to diversity and campus speech.
“Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,” the DHS declared in its statement.
The White House echoed a hardline stance, calling the presence of foreign students on U.S. campuses a “privilege, not a right.” Spokesperson Abigail Jackson, in a statement to CNN, claimed Harvard had “turned their once-great institution into a hot-bed of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators.”
Harvard officials immediately condemned the administration’s actions as retaliatory and unlawful. “This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country,” said university spokesperson Jason Newton, emphasizing that international students from over 140 countries are vital to the university’s academic and cultural life.
Roughly 27% of Harvard’s student body—more than 6,700 individuals—could be affected by the SEVP decertification, plunging the campus into uncertainty.
The dispute stems from months of mounting pressure from the Trump administration demanding sweeping changes to hiring, admissions, and campus life policies—especially those perceived as related to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs. Harvard has pushed back, arguing that several federal requests overstep constitutional boundaries and infringe on academic freedom.
Even as Harvard implemented some changes—like renaming its DEI office—the administration intensified its response, freezing $2.2 billion in federal funds and initiating steps to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status, sources told CNN.
With tensions flaring, Harvard finds itself at the center of a broader battle over academic independence and the future of international education in the U.S. “This should be a warning to every other university to get your act together,” Noem warned during an appearance on Fox News.
