Trump Administration Prevents Harvard from Enrolling Foreign Students: Update (06.06.2025)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the announcement this afternoon that it would terminate Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), thus preventing it from enrolling foreign students. DHS said Harvard was allowing “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment.”

The Trump administration and Harvard University have been at odds since Trump’s first day in office over protests and rallies on the university’s campus, with the administration claiming strong antisemitic sentiments are being spread and are encouraging violence. Harvard’s response to the Trump Administration’s allegations has been a stubborn refusal to comply to any demands the administration has made, ones to which other universities nationwide have quickly acceded. On March 10th, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights informed the university that it was being investigated on grounds of possible Civil Rights Acts violations, and last month, the administration terminated almost $3 million in DHS grants for the university. Now, it has terminated Harvard’s SEVP certification, which allows the university to enroll foreign students.

Below is a graphic from Harvard University that outlines the number of international students on the university’s campus from 2014-2025, as well as the overall percentage of total enrollment the group accounts for.

Because of the SEVP termination, Harvard will not be able to accept international students for the upcoming academic year. Additionally, any international students currently enrolled at Harvard University will be required to either transfer to a new university or risk losing their legal status.

Harvard called this decision “unlawful.” We will wait and see what happens.

If you have any questions, contact us and we are happy to speak with you.

Update (05.23.25): Harvard filed a suit against the Trump Administration, challenging the termination of its SEVP certification, arguing that the termination is a retaliatory act against the university’s exercise of its 1st Amendment rights.

Update (05.23.25): A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order which prevents the Trump Administration from being able to withdraw Harvard’s SEVP certification.

Update (05.29.25): Judge Allison Burroughs said that she will be issuing a preliminary injunction, blocking the administration’s attempt to ban Harvard from enrolling international students.

Update (06.04.2025): Trump issued a proclamation blocking Harvard from enrolling new foreign students.

Update (06.06.2025): Judge Allison Burroughs, now officially assigned to the suit, issued another restraining order on June 5th, preventing the Trump Administration from enforcing the block on Harvard’s new foreign student enrollment. A hearing is set for mid-June to determine whether the proclamation should be blocked indefinitely.