Trump Administration Revokes Harvard’s Authority to Enroll International Students in Dramatic Showdown

By: Jerome Brookshire

In a move that escalates the simmering tensions between the Trump administration and one of America’s most prestigious academic institutions, the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday abruptly revoked Harvard University’s authority to enroll international students. The decision, reported by The New York Times, represents a major escalation in the administration’s efforts to confront what it has described as noncompliance by elite institutions with federal oversight and national priorities.

The revocation, effective immediately, was conveyed to the university in a formal letter signed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, which was later posted on her official social media account. The letter, obtained by The New York Times, states that Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has been rescinded, thereby barring the university from issuing the documentation required for foreign students to obtain or maintain legal student status in the United States.

The implications are immediate and far-reaching: Harvard can no longer admit new international students, and current international students must transfer to another SEVP-certified institution or risk losing their immigration status.

According to the information provided in The New York Times report, international students currently make up approximately 27 percent of Harvard’s total student body—about 6,800 students from more than 140 countries. The financial consequences are likely to be profound. Tuition alone for the 2024–2025 academic year is $59,320, but the full cost, including room and board, can approach $87,000. International students, who typically receive less institutional aid than domestic peers, represent a vital source of revenue for the university.

More than that, however, university officials and student leaders say the loss of international students undermines Harvard’s identity and its global academic reputation. “Without its international students and without its ability to bring in the best people from around the world, Harvard is not going to be Harvard anymore,” said Leo Gerden, a senior from Stockholm who has advocated for international students on campus. “The Trump administration is using us as poker chips right now. It is extremely dangerous.”

The confrontation is the latest flashpoint in an intensifying power struggle between President Trump’s administration and Harvard. As The New York Times previously reported, Harvard filed suit against the federal government last month, accusing it of attempting to interfere unlawfully in its academic affairs. The university claims that the administration has tried to impose changes to its curriculum, admissions practices, and hiring policies under the pretext of regulatory compliance.

Sources familiar with the situation told The New York Times that the current revocation is directly tied to Harvard’s resistance to an expansive records request from the Department of Homeland Security. The university had questioned the legality of the request, and after days of tense negotiations, the Trump administration moved unilaterally to decertify Harvard’s SEVP status.

“This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” said Jason Newton, the university’s director of media relations, in a statement to The New York Times. “We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars, who enrich the university — and this nation — immeasurably.”

Secretary Noem, in a statement accompanying the public release of her letter, justified the decision as a necessary measure to “uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability among federally certified institutions.” The Department of Homeland Security’s press release was more blunt: “This means Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status.”

Critics, however, view the move as an unprecedented politicization of the student visa system. Legal experts interviewed by The New York Times noted that this is the first time in recent memory that a university of Harvard’s stature has been stripped of SEVP certification. They warned that it could set a dangerous precedent if used as a tool to punish dissent or academic resistance to federal directives.

Harvard is widely expected to challenge the decision in court, potentially as soon as next week. One source close to the university’s leadership told The New York Times that a second lawsuit is already being prepared and that Harvard is exploring all legal and diplomatic avenues to restore its certification and safeguard its international student community.

The Trump administration’s latest move has sent shockwaves through the U.S. higher education landscape, where international students contribute tens of billions of dollars annually and are central to academic research, innovation, and diversity. With the U.S. already facing increased competition from countries like Canada and the United Kingdom for global talent, some university leaders warn this could trigger a chilling effect on international enrollment across the country.

At Harvard, faculty and staff are scrambling to provide guidance and reassurance to the affected students. “We are working quickly to support members of our community,” Newton told The New York Times. “Harvard stands firmly with its international students.”

What began as a bureaucratic dispute over regulatory compliance has evolved into a dramatic constitutional and ideological standoff between an elite academic institution and a populist administration seeking to reshape the nation’s cultural and political elite. As The New York Times report emphasized, the consequences will be felt not only at Harvard but across every campus in America that hosts international students and values academic independence.

Whether Harvard will regain its ability to enroll international students remains to be seen. But for now, thousands of students are in limbo — and one of America’s oldest institutions finds itself at the epicenter of a political storm with global consequences.