Trump Admin Threatens Harvard with Foreign Student Ban

The Department of Homeland Security sent Harvard a letter on Wednesday threatening to revoke its eligibility to enroll international students unless it submits information on international students’ disciplinary records and protest participation.

In a Wednesday press release, the DHS wrote that it had also canceled two grants worth $2.7 million to Harvard.

The letter threatening Harvard’s authorization to host international students, which was signed by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, accused Harvard of creating a “hostile learning environment” for Jewish students.

“It is a privilege to have foreign students attend Harvard University, not a guarantee,” the letter read.

American universities may host international students on student visas only if they have certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.

The Wednesday letter calls on Harvard to provide information regarding visa holders’ “known threats to other students or university personnel,” “obstruction of the school’s learning environment,” and any disciplinary actions “taken as a result of making threats to other students or populations or participating in protests.”

It comes less than a week after three federal agencies threatened to pull Harvard’s federal funding unless the University agreed to report international students for violation of its conduct policies. Harvard rebuffed the government’s demands on Monday and now faces cuts to more than $2.2 billion in federal funding.

The Internal Revenue Service is also now reportedly making plans to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status, which would require Harvard to pay federal taxes on its endowment income and donor contributions.

The Wednesday letter cites a Jan. 28 executive order that instructed universities, including Harvard, to monitor international students for suspected participation in crime or terrorism.

“Harvard bending the knee to antisemitism — driven by its spineless leadership — fuels a cesspool of extremist riots and threatens our national security,” Noem said in the press release.

Noem added that if Harvard fails to comply with the student records request by April 30, “SEVP will automatically withdraw the school’s certification.”

One of the canceled grants is the $1.9 million Blue Campaign Program Evaluation and Violence Advisement grant, which supported research on mass violence and human trafficking prevention efforts. The DHS wrote in the press release that the grant “funded Harvard’s public health propaganda.”

The other canceled grant is the $800,000 Implementation Science for Targeted Violence Prevention, which the DHS alleged “branded conservatives as far-right dissidents in a shockingly skewed study.”

The letter cited a statute of Title 8 of the U.S. code — which governs immigration and nationality matters — that requires schools to keep information on student coursework and academic status, including suspensions or probations. The information sought by the DHS seems to focus on student speech and conduct at protests.

Over the last several weeks, the Trump administration has cracked down on international students who have engaged in pro-Palestine activity on college campuses.

More than 600 international students have had their visa status changed under the Trump administration, according to a tracker maintained by Inside Higher Education. At least 12 of the affected visa holders have been either current Harvard students or recent graduates.

If Harvard’s SEVP status is revoked, current international students will face three options: transfer to a different university, seek changes to their immigration status, or depart the country, according to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement website.

Similarly, international students in Harvard’s Class of 2029 will be unable to obtain student visas necessary to enter the U.S. absent SEVP certification.

Harvard spokesperson Sarah E. Kennedy O’Reilly wrote in a statement that Harvard is “aware” of the letter, but stands by its assertion on Monday that the University “will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”

“If federal action is taken against a member of our community, we expect it will be based on clear evidence, follow established legal procedures, and respect the constitutional rights afforded to all individuals,” Kennedy O’Reilly wrote.