DHS Revokes Harvard’s Ability to Host Foreign Students
On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) took the significant step of revoking Harvard University’s authority to host foreign students, citing a “toxic campus climate.” This decision means that Harvard can no longer register new international students, and those already enrolled now face the possibility of needing to transfer or risking the loss of their legal status.
The Trump administration has targeted Harvard, accusing the institution of allowing anti-Semitic behavior and failing to accurately disclose foreign funding. “This administration holds Harvard University responsible for promoting violence, anti-Semitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on campus,” said Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem in a recent statement. She emphasized that while universities benefit financially from international students, Harvard had multiple opportunities to address these issues but chose not to.
Currently, Harvard has 6,793 international students enrolled for the 2024-2025 academic year, making up more than a quarter of the student body, as indicated by university sources.
A spokesperson for Harvard responded by stating that the government’s actions are illegal. “We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host international students and academics from over 140 countries, enriching both the university and the broader community,” they explained, assuring that guidance and support are being provided to affected members.
The Trump administration has already imposed over $2 billion in financial cuts to the university and recently declared it ineligible for federal grants after Harvard refused to comply with demands to confront anti-Semitism more aggressively in April. A parliamentary survey conducted in September 2024 found that the university did not take significant action against nearly 70 students involved in pro-Hamas demonstrations the previous spring. Other protests led to disruptions on campus as well.
Moreover, Harvard faces allegations of not reporting foreign contributions as required by law. Reports suggest that the university has received $1.1 billion from international sources since 2017, including more than $100 million from China and about $1.6 million from the Palestinian territories.
On April 18th, the Department of Education initiated a records request from Harvard after discovering that the university’s financial disclosures regarding foreign aid were incomplete and inaccurate.
DHS also mentioned concerns about Harvard’s collaboration with the Chinese Communist Party, referencing incidents from 2021 involving officials accused of human rights violations who had previously received fellowships from the institution.
