Trump administration bars Harvard from enrolling international students: All about it

After weeks of standoff, the Donald Trump administration has barred Harvard University from enrolling international students under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). This decision could affect nearly 6,800 international students (2024-25) at the university. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the measure in a letter to the university on May 22.“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 enrol foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments,” Noem said.

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 to… pic.twitter.com/D0lVQJBlCe— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 22, 2025

What is the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)?

The SEVP is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initiative managed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The SEVP collects, manages, analyses and provides information to ensure only authentic international students or exchange visitors are admitted to the United States.

It also guarantees that colleges accepting nonimmigrant students are certified and comply with federal rules and regulations that govern them. SEVP manages the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which maintains information on SEVP-certified schools, F-1 and M-1 students who come to the United States to attend those schools, U.S. Department of State-designated Exchange Visitor Program sponsors and J-1 visa Exchange Visitor Program participants.

All institutions in the US that accept F and/or M nonimmigrant students must be certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.

The government’s recent announcement of revoking the SEVP means Harvard can no longer admit foreign students under F-1 or J-1 visas while current international students must either transfer to another school or risk losing their legal status in the US.

What is Harvard’s international student population?

In the 2024-2025 academic year, 6,793 international students enrolled at Harvard University, accounting for approximately 27% of total enrollment. Many of these students pay full tuition fees, which adds significantly to the university’s approximately $6 billion yearly budget.

Harvard called the move “unlawful”

In a statement, America’s oldest university called the DHS action “unlawful”, adding it was working “to quickly provide guidance and support to members of our community.”

“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,” it added.

What happens next?

The Department of Homeland Security has given the university 72 hours to comply with six federal demands to regain its certification. These include:

All records of “illegal activity” involving nonimmigrant students over the last five years

Documentation of “dangerous or violent activity” on or off campus by these students

Records of “threats made” by them toward others

Any evidence of these students depriving others of their rights

All disciplinary records of nonimmigrant students since 2020

Any protest-related audio or video involving nonimmigrant students

Affected Universities

Harvard is not alone in this. Over 60 institutions, including Columbia, Cornell, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania, are facing federal investigations, funding suspensions, or intense scrutiny.