The US administration blocks Harvard from enrolling foreign students
Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary, stated that the administration had revoked Harvard’s “Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law.”
May 27, 2025
“Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country,” she wrote on X.
Harvard has stated that the move by the US administration was illegal and amounted to retaliation. A US judge has now also blocked the administration from revoking Harvard University’s ability to enroll foreign students.
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Over 6,700 international students
“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,” Harvard stated.
Over 6,700 international students were enrolled at the institution last academic year, according to university data (about 27% of the students).
Frozen grants and other universities
The US administration has launched investigations into dozens of universities across the countries and wrung concessions from other major US institutions like Columbia University in New York, reports BBC News.
The administration has also frozen several billion dollars in federal grants to Harvard, and the university has sued to restore the funding. The administration has accused the school of not doing enough to curb antisemitism following pro-Palestinian protests that have emerged in the past two years.
Published: May 27, 2025
