In a dramatic move escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Harvard University, the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday revoked the university’s certification to enroll international students—who make up more than a quarter of its student body.
The decision, detailed in a letter from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, comes amid President Donald Trump’s intensifying campaign against the prestigious Ivy League institution, which he accuses of fostering anti-Semitism and advancing what he calls “woke” liberal ideology.
“Effective immediately, Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) Program certification is revoked,” Noem wrote, referring to the federal system that allows foreign students to legally study in the U.S.
The revocation follows a series of warnings from Trump, who last month threatened to strip Harvard of its ability to enroll foreign students unless it submitted to government oversight of its admissions and hiring practices.
“It is a privilege to enroll foreign students,” Noem stated in the letter. “All universities must comply with DHS regulations, including reporting requirements under the SEVIS program, to maintain this privilege.”
Noem cited Harvard’s refusal to provide requested information and accused the university of maintaining “an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies.”
According to Harvard’s own data, international students made up over 27 percent of its enrollment for the 2024–25 academic year.
Harvard has not yet issued a public response to the revocation.