Trump administration escalate their feud with Harvard on Thursday by blocking the University from enrolling foreign students.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered DHS staff to revoke Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, which allows colleges to enroll foreign students.
“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” Noem said in a statement posted on X.
In addition to blocking future enrollments, the administration also said “existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status.”
Harvard enrolls nearly 7,000 foreign students which is more than a quarter of its student body. Most are graduate students, coming from more than 100 countries, according to the Associated Press.
“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused,” Noem said.
The move comes after the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard in April after the university rejected their demands eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I) programs, and evaluate international students for ideological concerns.
In a statement, Harvard called the Trump administration’s actions “unlawful” and said they remain “fully committed” to educating foreign students and was working on producing guidance for affected students.
“The government’s action is unlawful,” the university said. “This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”
