The future of international students at Harvard University — America’s oldest, wealthiest, and arguably most prestigious academic institution — has been thrown into turmoil. The Trump administration’s recent move to ban the enrolment of international students at Harvard starting in the 2025–26 academic year has sparked outrage, panic, and legal challenges.
After Harvard refused to turn over extensive data about its international students, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the school was being held accountable for “fostering violence, anti-Semitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.”
This accusation is part of a broader escalation in the administration’s crackdown on elite universities. “Institutions must now recommit themselves to the good of the nation,” Harvard President Alan Garber said in a statement. “And that includes standing firm in the face of political intimidation.”
In a social media post on Sunday, President Donald Trump criticised Harvard for enrolling international students without “any contribution from their home countries”.
“Why isn’t Harvard saying that almost 31% of their students are from FOREIGN LANDS, and yet those countries, some not at all friendly to the United States, pay NOTHING toward their student’s education, nor do they ever intend to,” he wrote.
“We want to know who those foreign students are, a reasonable request since we give Harvard BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, but Harvard isn’t exactly forthcoming. We want those names and countries.”
A legal battle
In April, the federal government froze more than $2 billion in grants and contracts with Harvard, citing non-compliance with requests to modify hiring and admissions policies, dismantle diversity-equity-inclusion (DEI) programmes, and conduct ideological vetting of international students. Harvard has filed a lawsuit challenging both the funding freeze and the move to revoke its ability to enrol foreign students.
The administration’s rhetoric has grown increasingly inflammatory.
On Tuesday, the White House also directed federal agencies to terminate an estimated $100 million worth of remaining contracts with Harvard by June 6. The federal Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism described Harvard’s resistance as symptomatic of “an entitlement mindset endemic in our nation’s elite institutions” and said that if the university wishes to continue receiving federal support, it must “commit to meaningful change”.
For international students already enrolled at Harvard, the unfolding crisis has created a sense of chaos and vulnerability. “It’s been really stressful — not just for me but for other international students too,” Shreya Mishra Reddy, a second-year MBA student from India at Harvard Business School, told The Hindu. “The rules have been changing every week. There’s just something new — basically against international students.”
Referring to sudden SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) terminations and visa revocations by the Trump administration, Ms. Reddy said, “You essentially become an illegal and can be deported at any time. Harvard no longer has access to the SEVIS record, and that renders your F-1 out of status.”
While Harvard issued a general statement affirming support for its international students, she said communication has been fragmented.
“The program office said we should be okay, but beyond that, we don’t know,” Ms. Reddy added. The uncertainty has already prompted some students to explore transfer options and seek advice from immigration lawyers.“Doesn’t matter what school you’re from — if you’re an international student, the environment in general is very uncertain.”
The Trump administration’s actions are reshaping the boundaries of who belongs in American classrooms, with international students increasingly caught in the crosshairs.
Under attack
The recent crackdown on Harvard comes amid a broader assault on elite institutions and immigration policy under the Trump administration’s second term. On Tuesday, the U.S. Embassy in India issued a warning to Indian students studying in the U.S: “If you drop out, skip classes, or leave your program of study without informing your school, your student visa may be revoked, and you may lose eligibility for future U.S. visas.”
The warning comes as signs of growing intolerance by the Trump administration toward any perceived deviation from visa rules. Students are being urged to strictly adhere to all regulations — even as federal policies shift rapidly and, critics argue, unpredictably.
The U.S. State Department on Tuesday reportedly also issued an internal directive to halt the scheduling of new student and exchange visitor visa interviews. According to a cable seen by Reuters, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the agency is preparing to implement new, stringent social media vetting protocols for all foreign students.
The implications of this policy offensive go beyond Harvard. Universities across the U.S. are watching closely, fearful of being next in line. International students, who contribute nearly $38 billion annually to the U.S. economy and are often top performers in STEM fields, are beginning to reconsider the viability of studying in the country.
As the lawsuit between Harvard and the federal government winds its way through the courts, the stakes for higher education and academic freedom are high.
With elite universities under siege, their response — or lack thereof — will shape the contours of U.S. higher education for years to come. Harvard, notably, is among the first Ivy League institutions to legally challenge the administration’s sweeping actions.
This also stands in contrast to Columbia University, which came under fire earlier this year for appearing to cave to government pressure amid nationwide protests. Columbia has faced sharp criticism for failing to defend its international students — particularly those arrested and detained for participating in campus demonstrations, including Palestinian student Mahmoud Khalil.
(Anisha Dutta is a New York-based journalist)
Published – May 29, 2025 05:30 am IST
