Trump cracks down on Harvard, international students in limbo

The Trump administration on Thursday revoked Harvard University's certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, effectively barring the institution from enrolling new international students.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced the decision. "Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country," Noem said in a statement. "Enrolling international students is a privilege – not a right – and that privilege has been revoked due to Harvard's repeated failure to comply with federal law."

The DHS said that, in addition to barring the enrollment of future international students, "existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status."

Noem added that the government is considering similar measures at other universities.

In response, Harvard issued a statement calling the administration's action unlawful and harmful. 

The statement said the university is fully committed to maintaining Harvard's ability to host international students and scholars, who "enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably."

"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."

Harvard has been embroiled in a months-long conflict with the Trump administration, which is pressuring the university to reform its campus programming, policies, hiring and admissions processes. The Trump government has called for a crackdown on antisemitism and the removal of what it refers to as "racist 'diversity, equity and inclusion' practices."

In April, administration officials sent a letter to Harvard demanding "meaningful governance reform and restructuring," threatening to cut federal funding.

Harvard rejected the demands. "We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement. The University will not negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights," said Harvard University President Alan M. Garber.

Subsequently, the administration froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard after the university refused to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs and declined to evaluate international students for ideological concerns.

On April 21, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of attempting to manipulate academic decisions at the university by withholding federal funds.

In May, the administration announced it would terminate an additional $450 million in grants to Harvard after Garber publicly criticized the government for threatening academic freedom.

The latest funding cuts, announced Tuesday by the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, come on top of the $2.2 billion already frozen.

Harvard hosts a large international student community that now faces significant uncertainty. According to CNN, the university reports having 9,970 individuals in its international academic population, with 6,793 international students accounting for 27.2 percent of total enrollment for the 2024–25 academic year.

The announcement came as a shock to many students and staff, leaving thousands uncertain about their futures as they grapple with the potential loss of their connection to a university they had worked tirelessly to join.

"Many of us have worked our entire lives to get to a university like Harvard, and now we need to wait around and see if we might have to transfer out and face difficulties with visas," said junior student Karl Molden of Austria, speaking to CNN.

Harvard faculty also voiced concerns that removing the university's foreign student population would weaken its academic strength and potentially undermine American higher education more broadly.

Harvard economics professor and former Obama administration official Jason Furman called the decision "horrendous on every level."

"It is impossible to imagine Harvard without our amazing international students. They are a huge benefit to everyone here, to innovation, and to the United States more broadly," Furman told CNN.

Against the backdrop of the Israel-Palestine conflict, many universities across the United States witnessed a wave of pro-Palestinian protests last year, drawing heightened government scrutiny over alleged antisemitic sentiments on campuses.

"The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable. It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support," the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism said in a statement.

Columbia University, which was at the center of last year's pro-Palestinian protests, became the first institution to face consequences, losing $400 million in federal funding.

The university's research projects – including studies on antiviral nasal sprays for infectious disease prevention, maternal mortality and morbidity, and colorectal cancer screening – have all been impacted.

University officials said they are currently in discussions with the administration in an effort to have the funding reinstated.

Federal funding for other institutions, including Cornell University and Northwestern University, has also been frozen and is currently under investigation.

(With input from agencies)