Global Education Blow: Harvard Forbidden To Enroll International Students -

By Chijioke Courage Nkemjika

The Trump administration has taken action to strip Harvard of its ability to enroll international students, intensifying its clash with the country’s oldest university.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has revoked Harvard University’s certification to enroll international students, a move that could impact thousands of students and heighten tensions between the university and the Trump administration.

In a letter issued Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that Harvard’s access to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) had been suspended due to what the department described as the university’s failure to follow federal guidelines.

“This action should be a clear message to academic institutions across the country,” Noem wrote in a post on X.

Harvard swiftly responded, calling the decision “unlawful” and warning of its potential to cause significant harm to students and the university’s mission.

“This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” the university said in a statement. “We are working quickly to support our international students and scholars, who come from over 140 countries and are an essential part of who we are.”

According to Harvard, more than 6,700 international students were enrolled last academic year, making up roughly 27% of the student body. Many of those students were left reeling Thursday as news of the decision spread across campus.

“It’s shocking. We’re five days from graduation, and now we’re unsure if we can stay in the U.S.,” said Sarah Davis, an Australian student completing a graduate program. “Everything feels uncertain.” Davis, who leads the Australia and New Zealand Caucus at Harvard Kennedy School, said students were still waiting for clear communication from the university.

For students like 22-year-old Leo Gerdén from Sweden, the announcement came as a bitter ending to what had once been a dream come true.

“I remember getting my acceptance letter to Harvard like it was yesterday,” Gerdén told the BBC. “Now it feels like we’re being used as leverage in a political fight. It’s dehumanising.”

Tensions between the university and the administration have been growing in recent months. Earlier this year, Harvard pushed back against a list of demands sent by the White House, including changes to its hiring, admissions, and classroom policies—ostensibly aimed at addressing antisemitism on campus. The university later filed a lawsuit, arguing that the administration’s actions were attempts to interfere with its independence.

The administration, in turn, warned that Harvard could lose access to international student programs if it failed to meet certain conditions.

On Thursday, the government followed through.

The DHS letter gave Harvard 72 hours to comply with a new set of demands if it wanted to regain the ability to enroll international students for the 2025–2026 academic year. These demands include turning over disciplinary records for non-citizen students going back five years and providing videos or recordings of any activity labeled “dangerous or violent” involving international students on campus.

Current students on F-1 and J-1 visas must now seek transfer to other institutions to maintain their legal immigration status, according to the letter.

In her post, Noem stated that the department would not hesitate to take similar actions against other institutions that failed to comply with federal policies.

The announcement sparked immediate backlash from higher education advocates and civil rights groups, who argue that the move unfairly targets international students and punishes institutions for political reasons.

In a related court case, a federal judge in California on Thursday temporarily blocked efforts by the Trump administration to cancel the legal status of international students nationwide while legal challenges proceed.

“We came here for academic freedom, open dialogue, and a vibrant intellectual environment,” Gerdén said. “Without international students, Harvard isn’t Harvard anymore.”

By Chijioke Courage Nkemjika