Trump Revokes Harvard’s Authority to Admit Foreign Students

• DHS revoked Harvard’s right to enroll new foreign students over security concerns.
• Secretary Noem accused Harvard of hosting anti-American activities without public evidence.
• The move affects 27% of students and deepens legal, financial tensions.

The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday revoked Harvard University’s authorization to enroll international students, intensifying a contentious conflict between the Trump administration and one of the country's most esteemed educational establishments.

The directive, issued by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L Noem, promptly prohibits Harvard from admitting new international students and mandates that current students either transfer or face the potential loss of their legal immigration status.

This comes after weeks of escalating tensions between the university and the administration regarding claims that Harvard has allowed foreign students to partake in what Noem described as “anti-American, pro-terrorist” activities on campus.

The choice poses a significant risk of fundamentally altering the university's student demographic -  almost 27 percent of which originates from beyond the United States.

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In a statement, Secretary Noem charged Harvard with not adhering to a federal request for documents regarding foreign students purportedly involved in violent protests or unlawful activities over the last five years.

“The university knowingly allowed anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, and obstruct its once-venerable learning environment,” she said.

Noem additionally claimed that Harvard provided hosting and training for members of China’s paramilitary forces, yet no public evidence was made available to back this assertion.

Harvard had a total of 6,793 international students in the 2024–25 academic year, indicating a consistent increase over the past twenty years. Even with one of the largest endowments in the nation and need-based assistance for international students, the financial repercussions could still be considerable, particularly for specific departments that depend heavily on foreign enrollment.

Harvard has encountered over $2.7 billion in federal funding freezes during Trump’s second term and is now engaged in a legal dispute with the White House, claiming politically driven interference in its admissions and governance practices.