Trump administration bans Harvard from enrolling foreign students
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
The news: The Trump administration revoked Harvard University’s certification to enrol international students, a move the Department of Homeland Security said means current foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Harvard of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.”
Noem said the decision would “send a clear signal” that the government would “enforce the law and root out the evils of anti-Americanism and antisemitism.”
The context: The move comes after Harvard refused to comply with federal demands for oversight and data, amid a broader campaign by the Trump administration targeting elite universities over alleged ideological bias and antisemitism.
Among the demands was that Harvard—under federal oversight—“audit” the viewpoints of faculty, students and staff. The administration had also demanded information about some foreign student visa holders.
The Trump administration’s move is part of a wider campaign that has included pulling billions in federal research funding and threatening Harvard’s tax-exempt status.
The numbers: Harvard, which enrolled about 6,800 international students in 2024–25, or 27% of its student body, called the action “unlawful” and pledged to support affected students.
“The government’s action is unlawful," the university said in a statement. Harvard previously sued over attempts to change its curriculum, admissions and hiring.
The sources: US Homeland Security, The New York Times , Financial Times
