Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration following an abrupt decision to revoke the university’s certification to enroll international students. The legal action, filed in federal court in Boston, labels the government’s move as unconstitutional and a politically motivated attack on academic freedom, warning of “immediate and devastating effects” on over 7,000 visa-holding students.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Thursday that it had withdrawn Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), citing claims that the university had shown tolerance for “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” and fostered an unsafe campus environment. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem further accused Harvard of coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party, alleging the institution hosted and trained members of a Chinese paramilitary group.
Harvard President Alan Garber, in a message to the university community, condemned the action as “unlawful and unwarranted,” asserting it was retaliation for Harvard’s refusal to “surrender our academic independence and to submit to the federal government’s illegal assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body.” The university plans to seek a temporary restraining order to prevent the DHS from enforcing the decision, which would otherwise place thousands of international students at immediate risk of losing their visa status.
The ban not only prevents Harvard from admitting new international students but also forces existing foreign students to either transfer to another SEVP-certified institution or face losing their legal status in the U.S. This has sent shockwaves through the university’s international student body, which comprises over a quarter of its total enrollment, with a significant number in graduate programs. Students from over 100 countries, including large contingents from China and India, are now facing immense uncertainty regarding their academic futures.
This legal battle marks a significant escalation in tensions between the Trump administration and elite academic institutions. It follows previous actions by the administration, including freezes on federal research funding to Harvard, which the university has also challenged in court, arguing that such moves violate the First Amendment and are an attempt to silence dissenting views.
Critics of the administration’s policy argue that it undermines the U.S.’s standing as a global leader in higher education and could lead to a “brain drain,” as international talent may choose to pursue studies in more welcoming countries. The economic contributions of international students, who collectively contribute billions to the U.S. economy annually, are also at stake.
A federal judge has already issued a temporary injunction, halting immediate deportations of currently enrolled students, offering a brief reprieve while the lawsuit proceeds. However, the long-term implications for Harvard and the broader landscape of international education in the U.S. remain uncertain, as the case is expected to set a significant precedent regarding the extent of executive power in immigration policy and academic autonomy.
