The Trump administration has terminated Harvard University’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), effectively barring the institution from enrolling international students for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The decision, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday, requires current international students at Harvard to transfer to other institutions or face loss of their legal status in the United States.

The move follows a series of disputes between the Trump administration and Harvard, centered on allegations of noncompliance with federal demands for records related to student protests and disciplinary actions. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said that Harvard failed to provide adequate information regarding visa-holding students allegedly involved in “pro-terrorist conduct” during campus protests.

Noem’s letter to Harvard said that the revocation serves as a warning to universities that the administration will enforce compliance with its policies.

Harvard, which hosts approximately 6,800 international students—about 27% of its student body—called the administration’s action “unlawful” and vowed to support its affected students and scholars. “We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably,” university spokesman Jason Newton said in a statement.

The university is working to provide guidance to its international community amid the abrupt policy change.
The SEVP, administered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), allows institutions like Harvard to enroll noncitizen students on F-1 and J-1 visas.

The program requires universities to report data on enrollment, academic progress, and disciplinary records through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) to ensure visa compliance. DHS claims Harvard’s response to requests for records, including footage of protests and details of student disciplinary actions, was “insufficient, incomplete, and unacceptable.”

This is just the latest escalation in the administration’s ongoing conflict with Harvard, which has included the termination of $2.65 billion in federal research grants and threats to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status. The administration has accused Harvard of fostering antisemitism and liberal bias, citing its handling of pro-Palestinian protests and its refusal to implement demanded reforms to admissions and hiring practices.

However, a federal judge in California issued a nationwide injunction on Thursday, blocking the Trump administration from terminating the legal status of international students while a court case challenging earlier visa revocations is pending. The ruling may provide temporary relief to Harvard’s international students, though the long-term implications remain unclear.

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