In a stunning escalation of tensions, the Trump administration has barred Harvard University from enrolling international students, citing the school’s refusal to comply with controversial federal demands. The decision, announced Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), also requires current international students to transfer or risk losing their legal status – a move that threatens to upend the academic lives of thousands.
“Enrolling foreign students is a privilege, not a right,” the White House said, accusing Harvard of becoming a breeding ground for “anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators.” The administration claims Harvard failed to turn over conduct records of foreign students and continues to resist demands to reform campus programs, hiring, and admissions practices.
Harvard has pushed back forcefully. University officials call the decision “unlawful” and say it’s a dangerous political attack that could irreparably damage both the institution and U.S. higher education.
“This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” said spokesperson Jason Newton.
The move could affect more than 6,700 international students, nearly 30% of Harvard’s enrollment. Many of these students are now left scrambling for answers, unsure whether they’ll be able to return to campus, complete their studies, or retain their visas.
“This is a nightmare,” said Karl Molden, a junior from Austria. “We’ve worked our entire lives to get here, and now we might have to leave.” Molden, currently traveling abroad, fears he won’t be allowed back. He’s not alone. Across the globe, Harvard’s international students are left in limbo, exchanging frantic messages and contemplating uncertain futures.
The administration’s actions come amid ongoing disputes with elite institutions over diversity policies, responses to pro-Palestinian protests, and allegations of antisemitism on campus. Harvard, in particular, has resisted several of the federal demands, including what it calls unconstitutional “viewpoint audits” and ideological oversight.
Though the university has made some policy changes such as renaming its diversity office- it insists that many of the administration’s requirements overstep legal bounds. Critics argue the government is using its power to impose political ideology on academic institutions. “This is horrendous on every level,” said Harvard economics professor Jason Furman. “International students are a huge asset to our campus, to innovation, and to America’s global standing.”
Foreign diplomats are also taking notice. Australia’s ambassador to the U.S., Kevin Rudd, said the move is “distressing” for Australian students and has offered consular support.
Meanwhile, Harvard’s faculty and student organizations are calling the move a direct assault on academic freedom and international collaboration. The university’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors condemned what it called a “terrorizing assault” on scholars and students.
With $2.2 billion in federal funding frozen and Harvard’s tax-exempt status reportedly under review, the administration appears determined to make an example of the Ivy League titan.
“This should be a warning to every other university to get your act together,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
As the standoff continues, Harvard remains defiant and thousands of international students wait, anxiously, for what comes next.