The Trump administration has withdrawn Harvard University’s authority to admit international students, directing all existing international students to transfer or lose their visa status. The action was taken after a controversy over the legality of a federal records request, sources informed The New York Times.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a letter posted on X that the action followed Harvard’s failure to comply with reporting requirements. The university’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification has been withdrawn, affecting F-1 and J-1 visa students for the 2025–2026 school year.
Noem accused Harvard of spreading antisemitism and pro-China Communist Party sympathies, further stating that the move is an indicator of the administration’s dedication to “protecting students and rooting out anti-Americanism.”
The Department of Homeland Security released a statement claiming the measure ensures there are no “terrorist sympathizers” who profit from US government programs. The administration has already suspended $2.65 billion worth of federal grants to Harvard and mandated that the university scrap diversity programs and limit student demonstrations.
Reacting, Harvard denounced the action as “unlawful and retaliatory.” Harvard expressed its commitment to its 6,800 international students, who make up 27% of its student body, through a spokesperson.
President Alan Garber reiterated the institution’s autonomy, saying that no administration must make university admission and teaching decisions. Harvard has pursued legal action against the federal government, which it says infringes on First Amendment rights and federal limits on authority.
Swedish student Leo Gerden described the situation as “devastating,” urging the university to exhaust all legal and political avenues to reverse the decision. Tensions between Harvard and the federal government have escalated in recent months amid nationwide campus protests over Israel’s war in Gaza.
