In a significant move reflecting escalating tensions, the Trump administration has prohibited Harvard University from admitting international students. This decision adds another layer to the ongoing conflict between the administration and the prestigious Ivy League institution.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that thousands of international students currently enrolled at Harvard must either transfer to other universities or leave the United States. “This means Harvard can no longer enrol foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,” the department stated in a recent announcement.
Allegations against Harvard University
The Department’s assertions include claims that Harvard has cultivated an unsafe campus environment by allowing “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” to target Jewish students. Furthermore, it alleges that the university has engaged with the Chinese Communist Party, criticizing it for allegedly hosting and training members of a Chinese paramilitary organization as recently as 2024.
Harvard currently supports nearly 6,800 international students, which constitutes over a quarter of its total student body. Most of these students are enrolled in graduate programs and come from more than 100 countries.
“This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” the university remarked.
Escalating Hostilities Between Harvard and the Administration
The relationship between Harvard and the Trump administration has soured notably since the university became the first to publicly resist the White House’s initiatives aimed at altering what have been described as liberal and antisemitic environments at elite educational institutions. The federal government has already cut federal funding to Harvard by approximately $2.6 billion, compelling the university to finance a substantial portion of its research independently. President Trump has voiced intentions to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem explained that the decision to forbid Harvard from hosting international students for the coming academic year was due to the university’s failure to comply with a request made on April 16, requiring information about foreign students. This request sought data regarding students allegedly involved in protests or hazardous activities on campus, potentially leading to deportation.
Noem specified that Harvard could regain its authorization to accept international students if it submits the required documentation within 72 hours, including any relevant audio or video evidence involving the students.
The Harvard College Democrats criticized the administration’s actions as a political maneuver that jeopardizes students’ lives. They stated, “Trump’s attack on international students is text book authoritarianism — Harvard must continue to hold the line.”
Additionally, free speech advocacy groups, such as the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, condemned the measures taken by the administration. They described Noem’s demands as an attempt to create a “surveillance state,” cautioning that “this sweeping fishing expedition reaches protected expression and must be flatly rejected.”