The Department of Homeland Security has banned Harvard University from accepting foreign students.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the step in a social media post that included the letter she sent Harvard, which said current foreign students must enroll elsewhere and that the college cannot accept new foreign students.
“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” Noem wrote in a post on X.
“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused,” Noem wrote.
This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.
It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments… pic.twitter.com/12hJWd1J86
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) May 22, 2025
“They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country,” Noem wrote.
A news release posted on the DHS website said that on April 16, Noem requested Harvard “provide information about the criminality and misconduct of foreign students on its campus,” cautioning that “refusal to comply with this lawful order would result in SEVP termination.”
“Harvard University brazenly refused to provide the required information requested and ignored a follow up request from the Department’s Office of General Council. Secretary Noem is following through on her promise to protect students and prohibit terrorist sympathizers from receiving benefits from the U.S. government,” the release said.
Should more universities be banned from accepting foreign students?
The letter stressed that hosting foreign students was a privilege and that as a result of refusing to comply with DHS requests “while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies, you have lost this privilege.”
“The revocation of your Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification means that Harvard is prohibited from having any aliens on F- or J- nonimmigrant status for the 2025-2026 academic school year. This decertification also means that existing aliens on F- or J- nonimmigrant status must transfer to another university in order to maintain their nonimmigrant status,” the letter said.
The letter noted that the administration tried to meet Harvard halfway, but the college did not want to comply.
“Consequences must follow to send a clear signal to Harvard and all universities that want to enjoy the privilege of enrolling foreign students, that the Trump Administration will enforce the law and root out the evils of anti-Americanism and antisemitism in society and campuses,” Noem wrote.
Noem offered to stay the revocation for 72 hours if Harvard wants to comply.
Harvard had 6,793 international students in the 2024-2025 academic year, which is 27.2 percent of the college’s enrollment. In the 2006-2007 academic year, it had 3,941 international students, which amounted to 19.6 percent of its student body.
Harvard objected to Noem’s action.
“The government’s action is unlawful,” university representative Jason Newton said, according to Fox News.
“We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably. We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” he said.
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