‘Unlawful, retaliatory’: Harvard on Trump admin’s move to revoke its eligibility to enrol international students | World News
Harvard University has condemned the Trump adminration’s decision to bar it from enrolling international students as “unlawful” and “retaliatory.” The move the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has drawn sharp criticism from the university, which has vowed to pursue all avenues to protect its international community.
Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton issued a strongly worded statement rejecting the adminration’s accusations. “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,” he said.
Newton described the DHS directive as a retaliatory measure that “threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”
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Homeland Security’s stance
On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kri L Noem announced that Harvard’s certification to admit international students had been revoked, effective immediately. The decision requires the university’s 6,793 foreign students to either transfer to other institutions or risk losing their legal immigration status.
Secretary Noem accused Harvard of obstructing national security. “The university knowingly allowed anti-American, pro-terror agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, and obstruct its once-venerable learning environment,” she said.
“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,” Noem posted on X. “Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused,” she added.
This adminration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Commun 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 Kri Noem (@Sec_Noem) May 22, 2025
Noem further claimed Harvard had hosted and trained members of China’s paramilitary forces, although no public evidence has been provided to support the assertion. The university has been given 72 hours to turn over disciplinary and digital records, including video and audio footage, related to protest activity involving international students.
The university has already endured more than $2.7 billion in federal funding freezes under Trump’s second term and is currently a part of ongoing legal disputes with the White House over what it claims is politically motivated interference in its governance.
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