On May 22, 2025, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. According to the announcement from DHS, “Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status.”
According to university enrollment data, nearly 6,800 international students attended Harvard in the 2024-2025 school year, a little more than 27% of the student body.
Secretary Noem said, “They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.”
Background:
- On April 16, 2025, DHS Secretary Noem sent Harvard a letter claiming that Harvard “has created a hostile learning environment for Jewish students” and requesting information concerning student records. The letter states that ICE’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program could withdraw approval of Harvard as a school that international students can attend if Harvard does not produce records by April 30.
- Harvard University refused to provide the requested information.
- According to DHS, the university has allowed a “toxic campus climate.. let crime rates skyrocket, enacted racist DEI practices, and accepted boatloads of cash from foreign governments and donors.”
UPDATED: On Friday, May 23, 2025, Harvard University sued the Trump administration in response to DHS saying it would block international students from attending the university. The lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of retribution against the university. Shortly after filing, a Massachusetts federal judge granted a restraining order to Harvard University temporarily blocking the Trump administration from enforcing the ban on enrolling foreign students.
District Judge Allison D. Burroughs said the order was justified to prevent “immediate and irreparable injury” until a hearing could take place. A status conference is scheduled for May 27, with a hearing on Harvard’s request for a preliminary injunction to follow on May 29.
In a letter to the Harvard community delivered Friday morning, Dr. Alan M. Garber, Harvard’s president, wrote, “We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action,” adding that it “imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams.”
Erickson Insights & Analysis
These actions significantly escalate the pressure on Harvard University and higher education to align with the President’s agenda. We expect that Harvard will take legal action against DHS; last month, the university sued the administration over the government’s attempt to impose changes to its curriculum, admissions policies, and hiring practices.
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.