Trump administration halts Harvard University’s eligibility to enrol international students: NYT report

New York, May 22: In an unprecedented development, the Trump administration has revoked Harvard University’s eligibility to enrol international students.

A report in the New York Times cited a letter sent to Harvard University by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem.

In the letter, Noem writes, “I am writing to inform you that effective immediately, Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification is revoked.”

The NYT report said the development is a major escalation in the administration’s efforts to pressure the college to fall in line with the president’s agenda.

The administration notified Harvard about the decision after a “back-and-forth” in recent days “over the legality of a sprawling records request as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s investigation,” the report said, citing people with knowledge of the negotiations.

In April, Noem had written a “scathing letter” demanding detailed records on Harvard’s foreign student visa holders’ illegal and violent activities by April 30.

The DHS had said that Harvard would otherwise face immediate loss of Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, a DHS news release had said.

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

“With anti-American, pro-Hamas ideology poisoning its campus and classrooms, Harvard’s position as a top institution of higher learning is a distant memory. America demands more from universities entrusted with taxpayer dollars.”

The DHS had said that since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Harvard’s foreign visa-holding rioters and faculty have spewed antisemitic hate, targeting Jewish students.

“With a USD 53.2 billion endowment, Harvard can fund its own chaos — DHS won’t. And if Harvard cannot verify it is in full compliance with its reporting requirements, the university will lose the privilege of enrolling foreign students.”

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