US revokes Harvard’s authority to enroll international students

The US administration has made a decision preventing Harvard University from enrolling international students.

The US has revoked Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certificate, meaning foreign students can no longer attend the university.

The Department of Homeland Security stated on Thursday that current international students must either transfer or risk losing their legal status.

“Harvard administration has created an unsafe environment on campus by allowing anti-American and pro-terrorist provocateurs to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and by otherwise disrupting the once-respected learning environment,” the department said in a statement.

Department accuses Harvard of “collaborating with the CCP”

In its statement, the department alleged that many of the “provocateurs” were foreign students and that the Harvard administration was collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party.

Earlier this week, members of Congress sent a letter to Harvard University President Alan Garber, requesting information about the university’s ties to the Chinese government and military.

Congress members claimed the university hosted and trained members of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC). The XPCC is a state-affiliated organization sanctioned by the US in 2020 for alleged human rights abuses, including the detention of members of the country’s ethnic Uyghur Muslim minority.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement Thursday, “This administration accuses Harvard of promoting violence and antisemitism on its campus and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party. It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and augment their multi-billion dollar endowments by benefiting from their high tuition fees.”

Noem indicated in a letter to Harvard that the university could regain its Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification before the next academic year if it provides information including disciplinary records, video footage of protest activities, and records of illegal student activities over the past five years.

The Secretary stated the school must provide this information within 72 hours. Speaking to Fox News, Noem said the administration is considering blocking international student enrollments at other universities as well. “This should be a warning to all other universities to get their act together,” Noem said.

Trump administration “tightens screws” on campus antisemitism

In this context, the American administration is expected to intensify its actions.

Leo Terrell, Senior Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice, said the administration plans to increase the presence of law enforcement on campuses, expedite and intensify the deportation of international students involved in antisemitic activities, and tighten economic sanctions against universities.

As part of the “fight against antisemitism,” filing lawsuits against universities that fail to protect Jewish students and staff is also on the agenda for the first time. “This is a major step. We are in the process of suing universities for violating the Civil Rights Act against Jews,” Terrell said.

Pointing to Columbia University as an example, Terrell shared that the school was found to have failed in preventing “anti-Jewish” hatred.

Attempt to cut Harvard’s financial resources

Blocking international student enrollments will further increase financial pressure on Harvard.

The Trump administration had frozen more than $2.6 billion of Harvard’s funding and cut future grants in an increasingly contentious dispute over alleged antisemitism on campus and the government’s demand for more oversight.

Trump also called for the institution’s tax-exempt status to be revoked. The school, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, warned that this step would have “serious consequences for the future of higher education in America.”

University sues American institutions

Harvard described the government’s latest move as unlawful.

“We are determined to maintain our capacity to welcome international students and scholars from more than 140 countries who immeasurably enrich our university and our country. We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

The school sued several US institutions after the government demanded it restructure its administration, change its student admission and faculty hiring processes, stop admitting international students hostile to US values, and implement viewpoint diversity, subsequently blocking federal funds.

In April, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had told Harvard to submit records of violent or illegal activities by foreign students by April 30, or the federal government would immediately revoke its certification under the student visa program.

According to university data, the proportion of foreign students at Harvard increased from 19.6% in 2006 to 27% today.