In a dramatic escalation of tensions between the White House and one of America’s most prestigious academic institutions, Donald Trump’s administration has revoked Harvard University’s authority to admit foreign students. The move could affect over a quarter of the student body, as international students comprised 27 percent of the university’s enrolment for the 2024–25 academic year.
The decision was delivered on Thursday in a letter from US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who announced that Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) was being terminated with immediate effect. This programme governs the enrolment of overseas students at American institutions.
The punitive action follows Harvard’s refusal to comply with federal demands for oversight into its admissions and staffing practices. The US president has repeatedly accused the university of harbouring anti-Semitic sentiments and promoting “woke” liberal ideology. He had previously threatened to bar Harvard from admitting foreign students unless it agreed to allow increased federal scrutiny.
In her letter, Noem insisted that the university had failed to meet its legal obligations under the Homeland Security Department’s regulations. “It is a privilege to enrol foreign students,” she wrote. “By refusing to provide critical information and by maintaining a campus environment that is unsafe for Jewish students, sympathetic to Hamas, and reliant on racially divisive diversity, equity and inclusion policies, Harvard has forfeited this privilege.”
The unprecedented decision targets a university globally recognised for its academic excellence, Nobel laureates, and elite alumni. The administration’s rationale cited both national security concerns and cultural grievances, indicating a broader ideological conflict between the federal government and the higher education sector.
Harvard has not yet issued an official response to the revocation.
