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The Trump administration has barred Harvard University from enrolling international students, in a major escalation of its attacks on one of America’s most prestigious Ivy League schools.
Secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem sent a letter to Harvard on Thursday telling its administration that the university’s student and exchange visitor programme certification had been revoked, “effective immediately”.
The decision comes amid a deepening crackdown in recent months by US President Donald Trump on elite institutions which he accuses of promoting “woke” ideology and failing to tackle antisemitism.
In a post on X that published her letter, Noem wrote: “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.
“Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.”
The move would affect the admission of students for the coming academic year, but Noem also said the ban meant Harvard’s almost 6,800 existing international students, representing more than 27 per cent of this year’s intake, must switch their enrolment to other universities.
Harvard said the administration’s move was “unlawful” and that it was “fully committed” to maintaining its ability to host international students.
“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.”
The new attack on Harvard comes amid an escalating confrontation between Ivy League schools and the Trump administration, which has slashed billions of dollars of federal funding for the institutions.
Critics of the president say the moves against US universities amount to a crackdown on free speech and academic freedom. Harvard has sued the administration for halting more than $2bn in funding to it.
Noem accused Harvard of creating a “hostile” environment for Jewish students — an attack levelled by the administration against universities that were the scene of pro-Palestinian protests after Hamas’s October 7 2023 assault on Israel and the country’s subsequent offensive in Gaza.
The homeland security secretary said the Trump administration would seek all records of foreign students’ illegal, dangerous or violent activity, including instances of students making threats or disciplinary action taken against them.
The bar on international students will also spark concern for the 1.1mn foreigners enrolled in American universities — of whom the largest share come from India and China — as well as others hoping to study in the US.
Foreign students’ fees are a significant source of financial support for US universities.
Noem demanded last month that Harvard submit detailed records on its foreign students or be stripped of its right to enrol them. Harvard said at the time that it would “comply with the law and expect the administration to do the same”.
Will Creeley, legal director of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which has in the past criticised Harvard over free speech, called Noem’s action “retaliatory and unlawful”.
He said: “Little is more un-American than a federal bureaucrat demanding that a private university demonstrate its ideological fealty to the government under pain of punishment.”
Fanta Aw, executive director and chief executive of NAFSA, an association of international educators, said: “Secretary Noem’s action is an unprecedented over-reach and in direct violation of existing governmental policies. International students are not bargaining chips — they are scholars, researchers and contributors to our communities whose presence strengthens US higher education and society.”
