Trump Administration Revokes Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students
In a major escalation of tensions between the Trump administration and Harvard University, the Department of Homeland Security has revoked the university’s certification to enroll international students. The move follows weeks of confrontation over Harvard’s refusal to comply with federal demands.
Key Facts
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the revocation in a letter obtained by The New York Times, stating:
“Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification is revoked.”
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The decision takes effect immediately, barring Harvard from enrolling any new international students and requiring current foreign students to transfer to other institutions or risk losing their legal status in the U.S., according to a Department of Homeland Security press release.
This action follows a prior warning from the administration last month, after Harvard declined to provide requested information about alleged criminality and misconduct involving foreign students on its campus.
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Crucial Quote
“Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused,” Noem said in the release. “Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.”
Background
Harvard has been in a standoff with the Trump administration since early April, when it rejected a list of federal demands. Among them were calls for internal governance reforms and increased oversight by administration-appointed officials. The university is also one of around 60 institutions under federal investigation for alleged antisemitism.
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On April 11, the administration accused Harvard of failing “to live up to both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment.” In response, Harvard’s legal team stated that the university could not “allow itself to be taken over by the federal government,” and declined to agree to the terms in principle.
Following the refusal, the administration froze approximately $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard, prompting the university to sue the government, calling the freeze “unlawful and beyond the government’s authority.”
Further Developments
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration demanded Harvard disclose details of its foreign funding sources, electronic communications, contracts, and information on foreign students expelled since 2016.
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In a statement, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the probe aims to ensure Harvard “is not being manipulated by, or doing the bidding of, foreign entities.”
The Education Department has also accused Harvard of submitting “incomplete and inaccurate” reports of foreign contributions from 2014 to 2019. Federal law requires universities to report foreign gifts or contracts exceeding $250,000 semiannually.
Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton defended the school’s compliance, stating that it has filed Section 117 reports for decades, detailing all relevant contracts and gifts, including those related to executive education, training, and academic publications.
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