‘It’s a privilege, not a right’: Trump administration revokes Harvard’s ability to enrol foreign students

The Donald Trump administration has revoked Harvard University's ability to enrol international students starting from the 2025-2026 academic year. Current foreign students at Harvard are being forced to transfer to other institutions or risk losing their legal status. The Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, announced the termination of Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification.

Noem accused Harvard of fostering violence, antisemitism, and collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party. The department stated that the decision followed Harvard's refusal to provide requested information about certain foreign student visa holders. 

Harvard has described the move as illegal and retaliatory, affecting thousands of students.

Harvard enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in the 2024-2025 academic year, making up 27 per cent of its total student body. Chinese nationals formed the largest group of foreign students in 2022, followed by students from Canada, India, South Korea, Britain, Germany, Australia, Singapore, and Japan. The Chinese Embassy in Washington has not responded to requests for comment.

"It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enrol foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments," said Noem. She gave Harvard 72 hours to submit extensive records on foreign students, including any video or audio of protests over the past five years, to regain its certification.

Harvard condemned the government's action as unlawful and said it remains fully committed to educating international students. The university warned that the move threatens serious harm to its community and undermines its academic and research mission.

Congressional Democrats criticised the revocation. US Representative Jaime Raskin called it an intolerable attack on Harvard's independence and academic freedom, viewing it as retaliation for Harvard's resistance to Trump. The Trump administration has also frozen about $3 billion in federal grants to Harvard, prompting the university to sue for restoration of the funds.

Separately, a federal judge ruled that the administration cannot terminate the legal status of hundreds of foreign students across the US without following proper regulatory procedures. It remains unclear how this ruling will impact the action against Harvard.

In an interview, Noem confirmed plans to consider similar actions against other universities, including Columbia University in New York, warning that other institutions should improve their compliance.