Foreign Students Can’t Enroll at Harvard University After Trump’s New Move

In a significant development that deepens the clash between the Trump administration and one of America’s most prestigious universities, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has revoked Harvard University’s certification to admit international students, a move affecting over a quarter of its student population.

The decision, announced Thursday, came via a letter from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, citing the university’s failure to comply with federal demands regarding its admissions and hiring practices. The letter states that the revocation of Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) certification is effective immediately.

This move follows a series of warnings from former President Donald Trump, who has been openly critical of Harvard’s administration. He has accused the institution of fostering anti-Semitic sentiments and advancing what he labels “woke” liberal ideologies. In particular, Trump has demanded that Harvard submit to government oversight, something the university has reportedly resisted.

Secretary Noem’s letter emphasized that enrolling foreign students is a privilege, not a right, and maintained that all educational institutions must adhere to regulatory requirements to retain that status.

“You have lost this privilege,” Noem wrote, citing Harvard’s alleged refusal to supply information requested by DHS, the promotion of a hostile environment for Jewish students, and the use of diversity and inclusion policies that the administration views as discriminatory.

Data from the 2024–25 academic year shows that international students make up more than 27% of Harvard’s enrollment. The loss of SEVIS certification could therefore have a dramatic impact on the university’s academic and cultural fabric, as well as on its global reputation.

Harvard has yet to issue a formal response to the revocation.

The move marks one of the most aggressive actions taken by Trump’s administration against an elite academic institution and signals an intensification of political scrutiny over universities amid broader debates about campus speech, diversity policies, and international student presence.