Harvard sues Trump administration for blocking university’s ability to enroll international students

Harvard University is taking the Trump administration to court once again — this time over a move that could uproot thousands of international students. In a lawsuit filed in Boston federal court, Harvard slammed the federal government’s decision to revoke its ability to enroll foreign students as “a blatant violation” of constitutional rights and federal law. The university warned the move would have a “devastating effect” on its operations and more than 7,000 visa holders just days before graduation.

On May 22, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the termination of Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, effective from the 2025-2026 academic year. The decision, she said, was due to the university “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.”

This aggressive escalation from the Trump administration means more than 6,000 international students at Harvard would need to transfer or risk losing their legal status, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

In its complaint, Harvard argued the decision forces it to rescind thousands of admissions and disrupts “countless” academic operations — including clinics, research labs, and courses — at a critical time in the academic calendar. “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” the university declared.

This is the second lawsuit Harvard has filed in recent months amid rising friction with federal authorities. The administration claims Harvard failed to address antisemitism on campus and has pushed the school to comply with a sweeping set of demands, including dismantling its diversity, equity and inclusion programs, cracking down on student protests, and disclosing admissions data to federal officials.

Earlier this month, the administration slashed $450 million in grants to the university — on top of the $2.2 billion in federal funding cut in April, which prompted Harvard’s first lawsuit.