Trump Administration Revokes Harvard's Authority to Enroll International Students

Harvard UniversityThe Trump administration dealt a unprecedented blow to international education access Thursday by revoking Harvard University's authorization to enroll foreign students, a decision that could fundamentally alter the demographics and academic culture of the nation's oldest institution of higher learning.

The Department of Homeland Security terminated Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification after the university refused to provide conduct records of international students requested by DHS last month. The action affects Harvard's substantial international community of 9,970 people, including 6,793 international students who represent 27.2% of total enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year.

"Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status," DHS stated, marking the most aggressive federal intervention in university enrollment policies in recent memory.

The move represents a seismic shift in federal higher education policy that could reshape the landscape of American academia, where international students have long been integral to research innovation, cultural exchange, and institutional prestige. Harvard's international student body hails from more than 140 countries, contributing perspectives and expertise that faculty say are irreplaceable.

The Harvard action signals an escalating federal campaign against what the administration characterizes as problematic diversity, equity and inclusion practices at elite universities. In her letter to Harvard, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused the institution of employing "racist 'diversity, equity and inclusion' practices" and creating an environment "hostile to Jewish students."

The targeting of international student enrollment represents a new frontier in debates over campus diversity. Unlike domestic diversity initiatives that focus on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, international student recruitment has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support as both an economic driver and diplomatic tool.

Faculty members express particular concern about the impact on research programs that rely heavily on international graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. One professor familiar with the situation warned that "many labs will empty out" if the policy takes effect, potentially crippling research initiatives that depend on global talent pipelines.