SAN FRANCISCO– In a sweeping move that could reshape international education in the U.S., the Trump administration has revoked Harvard University’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), effectively blocking the school from enrolling new international students.
The decision, announced Thursday by U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, follows months of rising tensions between the federal government and the Ivy League institution. “Enrolling international students is a privilege—not a right—and that privilege has been revoked due to Harvard’s repeated failure to comply with federal law,” Noem said in a statement.
Writing on social media platform X, Noem cited multiple grievances, including Harvard’s refusal to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and its alleged reluctance to screen international students for ideological concerns. She further accused the university of enabling antisemitism, coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party, and profiting from international student tuition to inflate its multibillion-dollar endowment.
“As of Fall 2023, international students made up over 27% of Harvard’s student body,” Noem posted. “Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused.”
The DHS confirmed that, in addition to blocking future enrollments, current international students at Harvard must either transfer to another SEVP-certified institution or risk losing their legal immigration status. The university has been given a 72-hour window to submit information if it wishes to appeal the decision ahead of the upcoming academic year.
Harvard responded sharply, calling the move “retaliatory” and “unlawful.”
“This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” the university said in a statement. “We are fully committed to maintaining our ability to host international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University—and this nation—immeasurably.”
The action comes on the heels of a broader political feud. In April, President Donald Trump criticized Harvard as a “joke” and called for it to be stripped of federal research funding after the university pushed back against demands for external political oversight.
“Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “It should be removed from any list of the world’s great universities.”
Each year, between 500 and 800 Indian students and scholars study at Harvard. Currently, 788 Indian nationals are enrolled, according to the university’s data.
The revocation of SEVP certification marks a dramatic escalation in the administration’s stance on higher education and immigration, with far-reaching consequences for one of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions and the thousands of international students who call it home. (Source: IANS)
