(FILE) Demonstrators with indicators stand across the John Harvard Statue in Harvard Yard following a rally in opposition to President Donald Trumps assaults on Harvard College at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts on April 17, 2025.(Photograph by Joseph Prezioso / AFP)
NEW YORK, United States — Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday revoked Harvard’s capacity to enroll overseas nationals — greater than 1 / 4 of the scholar physique — in a dramatic escalation of the US president’s battle in opposition to the distinguished college.
The college in Cambridge, Massachusetts shortly slammed the transfer as “illegal” and mentioned it could damage each the campus and the nation, whereas one scholar mentioned the group was “panicking.”
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Trump is livid at Harvard — which has produced 162 Nobel prize winners — for rejecting his demand that it undergo oversight on admissions and hiring over his claims that it’s a hotbed of anti-Semitism and “woke” liberal ideology.
The lack of such a big proportion of the scholar physique might show to be an enormous monetary blow to Harvard, which fees tens of hundreds of {dollars} a yr in tuition.
“Efficient instantly, Harvard College’s Scholar and Alternate Customer (SEVIS) Program certification is revoked,” Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a letter to the Ivy League establishment, referring to the principle system by which overseas college students are permitted to review in america.
Harvard, which has sued the federal government over a separate raft of punitive measures, shortly fired again, calling the transfer “illegal.”
“We’re absolutely dedicated to sustaining Harvard’s capacity to host our worldwide college students and students,” it mentioned in an announcement, including that it was working to supply college students steering and assist.
“This retaliatory motion threatens critical hurt to the Harvard group and our nation, and undermines Harvard’s educational and analysis mission.”
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Karl Molden, a world scholar from Austria, mentioned he had utilized to review at Oxford in Britain as a result of he feared such measures.
“It’s scary and it’s saddening,” the 21-year-old authorities and classics scholar instructed AFP.
“I really like Harvard, and stepping into the college has been the best privilege of my life.
“It’s undoubtedly going to alter the notion of… college students who (may) contemplate learning there — the US is getting much less of a beautiful spot for increased schooling.”
Leaders of the Harvard chapter of the American Affiliation of College Professors known as the transfer “the newest in a string of nakedly authoritarian and retaliatory strikes in opposition to America’s oldest establishment of upper schooling.”
“The Trump administration is unlawfully looking for to destroy increased schooling in america. It now calls for that we sacrifice our worldwide college students within the course of. Universities can not acquiesce to such extortion,” it mentioned.
‘Everybody’s panicking’
Final month, Trump threatened to cease Harvard from enrolling overseas college students if it didn’t conform to authorities calls for that may put the non-public establishment below exterior political supervision.
“As I defined to you in my April letter, it’s a privilege to enroll overseas college students,” Noem wrote.
“All universities should adjust to Division of Homeland Safety necessities, together with reporting necessities below the Scholar and Alternate Customer Program rules, to keep up this privilege,” she mentioned.
“Because of your refusal to adjust to a number of requests to offer the Division of Homeland Safety pertinent data whereas perpetuating an unsafe campus surroundings that’s hostile to Jewish college students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist ‘variety, fairness, and inclusion’ insurance policies, you will have misplaced this privilege.”
Greater than 27 p.c of Harvard’s enrollment was made up of overseas college students within the 2024-25 educational yr, in keeping with college information.
Fourth-year US scholar Alice Goyer instructed AFP “nobody is aware of” what the event would imply for worldwide college students already enrolled.
“We simply received the information, so I’ve been getting texts from a variety of worldwide associates, and I feel everybody’s simply — nobody is aware of,” she mentioned.
“Everybody’s panicking a bit.”
On whether or not college students would willingly switch to different establishments, as steered by Noem within the letter, Goyer mentioned, “I doubt individuals would try this.”
“I might hope perhaps there’s going to be a authorized battle that’ll happen.”
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