Trump authorities impede Harvard University from admitting international students
The U.S. administration under President Donald Trump has barred Harvard University from enrolling new international students, sparking a legal battle over immigration policies and academic freedom. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is set to terminate Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, which will impact around 7,000 foreign students, starting from the 2025-2026 school year.
In a statement, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem accused the university of fomenting violence, antisemitism, and collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party. However, Harvard contends that the Trump administration's move is both illegal and retributive, and threatens severe consequences for the institution and the nation as a whole, hindering its academic and research objectives.
The university enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in the 2024-2025 academic year, accounting for 27% of its overall enrollment. Among these students, Chinese nationals represented the largest foreign student group, with 1,016 students, followed by Canadians, Indians, South Koreans, British, Germans, Australians, Singaporeans, and Japanese students, respectively [1].
The Trump administration's action is a significant escalation in its ongoing campaign against Harvard, one of the Ivy League universities in the Boston area, which has been a recurring target for the administration. This decision follows Harvard's refusal to comply with DHS's demands for information about certain foreign student visa holders on campus.
According to Harvard, the government's action is unlawful, and the university remains fully committed to educating foreign students. Members of Congress, particularly Democratic representatives, have condemned the revocation, labeling it an attack on Harvard's autonomy and academic freedom, and a reprisal by the Trump administration for the university's past resistance to its policies [2].
During an interview with Fox News, Secretary Noem did not rule out similar actions targeting other universities such as Columbia, stating, "This should be a warning to every other university to get their act together" [3].
The administration has also faced rulings against its immigration policies. In a separate case, a federal judge decided that the administration could not revoke the legal status of foreign students across the country without adhering to proper regulatory procedures [4]. It remains unclear how this ruling may affect the action against Harvard.
[1] - Harvard University statistics - Source: https://www.hsshq.harvard.edu/international-students/international-student-facts-and-statistics
[2] - 'Congressional Democrats denounce revocation', The Hill.com - Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/552801-democrats-slam-harvard-decision-say-trump-administration-is
[3] - 'Noem considers similar moves at other universities', FoxNews.com - Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/homeland-security-secretary-kristi-noem-revokes-harvard-university-student-visa-program-certification
[4] - 'Administration cannot end foreign students' status without procedures', Axios.com - Source: https://www.axios.com/judge-trump-administration-daca-daca-lawsuit-290681bb-9d2c-42e8-b92b-70c1e0bb7e36.html
- The ongoing legal battle over immigration policies and academic freedom has led to international controversy, with the U.S. administration's policy and legislation impacting the business, education-and-self-development, and research objectives of Harvard University.
- The Department of Homeland Security's termination of Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, affecting over 7,000 students, raises concerns about the general news and politics implications of such decisions on international students and academic institutions.
- The administration's action against Harvard University has sparked debate over the role of politics in policy-and-legislation, with some accusing the administration of retaliation for the university's opposition to its policies, particularly in relation to international student enrollment.
- The repercussions of the Trump administration's policy on foreign students extend beyond Harvard, as Secretary Noem's statement to Fox News suggests a possible expansion of similar actions targeting other prestigious institutions like Columbia, potentially impacting international health, education-and-self-development, and business collaborations worldwide.
