The Trump administration has taken a step that could deeply affect Indian and other international students at Harvard University. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll international students under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). This means that those already studying there must either transfer to another school or risk losing their legal status in the US.
“I am writing to inform you that, effective immediately, Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification is revoked,” read an official letter from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
In a post on social media, Noem accused Harvard of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.”
According to Harvard’s official website, approximately 500 to 800 Indian scholars and students are enrolled to the university each year. Currently, there are 788 Indian students studying. Harvard has approximately 6,800 foreign students who account for about 27% of the total students. The majority of them are graduate students.
With the new decision, they have to look for another university to transfer to if they want to stay in the US.
CAN STUDENTS GRADUATE?
Students who finished their degrees this semester will be permitted to graduate. Noem’s letter stated the revocation will only impact students from the 2025–2026 school year onward. That means students graduating in 2025, like Harvard’s Class of 2025, which is set to conclude next week, can still have their degrees conferred to them.
However, international students who still have some part of their studies left must transfer to another institution to remain in the country legally.
WHAT HAPPENS TO NEWLY ADMITTED STUDENTS?
As of now, students who were about to attend Harvard in the fall of 2025 will no longer be permitted to do so unless the government reverses its decision or if a court steps in. Secretary Noem has given Harvard 72 hours to meet a list of demands if it wishes to regain its ability to enroll foreign students.
These requirements consist of handing over records of disciplining international students by submitting audio and video recordings of protest activities on campus. Harvard had previously refused to hand over this information.
In response to the revocation, Harvard said on Thursday that it is working to give guidance to students who are affected.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION VS HARVARD
This move is part of an ongoing conflict between Harvard and the Trump administration that started in early April. The controversy began when Harvard refused to comply with government directives to restrict pro-Palestinian protests and to discontinue policies dealing with diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and the National Institutes of Health have since ceased university grants. These measures have impacted various research projects undertaken by the professors at Harvard.
In protest, Harvard sued the administration in a bid to regain the funding and reverse the restrictions.
Harvard is under pressure to respond quickly to the government’s demands or risk losing a significant portion of its student body. Meanwhile, affected students will seek legal and academic advice on their next steps. There is also a possibility that the Supreme Court might step in to review or block the government’s decision.