Harvard Barred From Enrolling Foreign Students — US Govt

On Thursday, the Trump administration moved to strip Harvard University of its ability to admit international students—who make up over a quarter of its incoming class. This bold action marks a clear intensification in the ongoing tussle between the White House and one of the world’s most iconic universities.

Donald Trump has expressed intense frustration with Harvard University—an institution renowned for producing 162 Nobel laureates—after it refused to comply with his demand for federal oversight of its admissions and hiring practices. The former president has accused the university of fostering anti-Semitic sentiment and promoting what he describes as a “woke” liberal agenda, escalating his ongoing feud with the Ivy League school.

“Effective immediately, Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) Program certification is revoked,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a letter to the Ivy League institution, referring to the main system by which foreign students are permitted to study in the United States.

Last month, Trump threatened to stop Harvard from enrolling foreign students if it did not agree to government demands that would put the private institution under outside political supervision.

“As I explained to you in my April letter, it is a privilege to enroll foreign students,” Noem wrote.

“All universities must comply with Department of Homeland Security requirements, including reporting requirements under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program regulations, to maintain this privilege,” she said.

“As a result of your refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies, you have lost this privilege.”

According to university data, international students comprised over 27 percent of Harvard’s total enrollment for the 2024–2025 academic year, underscoring the institution’s global appeal and diversity. As of press time, Harvard had not issued a response to requests for comment.

Africa Today News, New York