Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump's administration revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students Thursday, escalating tensions with the elite school that has resisted the administration's efforts to promote its policy agenda. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the termination of the Ivy League school's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, meaning Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the department claimed that Harvard's leadership has "created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment." The move against Harvard has shocked many South Korean and other foreign students who have been studying at the prestigious institution in hopes of building academic careers and research portfolios to contribute to the global community.
"This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus," said Noem, as quoted in a press release. She added that it is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments.
A Harvard spokesperson called the revocation of the SEVP certification "unlawful," according to The New York Times. "We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard's ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the university -- and this nation -- immeasurably," Jason Newton, the university's director of media relations, was quoted by NYT as saying. "We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard's academic and research mission."
The termination of SEVP certification could lead to another lawsuit by Harvard. Last month, the university sued the administration over its move to align the school with its agenda. About 6,800 international students attended Harvard in the 2024-25 school year -- about 27 percent of the student body, NYT reported, citing university enrollment data.