Harvard University is contesting the decision by the Trump administration to prohibit the admission of foreign students. The Ivy League institution has classified this move as an unconstitutional retaliation for ignoring the political demands of the White House.
The university lodged a lawsuit on Friday in a federal court in Boston, asserting the government’s decision infringes on the First Amendment. Harvard warns that this action will have an “immediate and devastating effect” on the institution and more than 7,000 visa holders.
Harvard stated, “With the stroke of a pen, the government has endeavored to obliterate a quarter of Harvard’s student body — international students who significantly contribute to the University and its mission.” It has been reported that the university intends to apply for a temporary restraining order to prevent the Department of Homeland Security from implementing the move.
Harvard has around 6,800 foreign students enrolled at its Cambridge, Massachusetts campus. These students, mostly graduates, hail from over 100 countries.
The Department of Homeland Security announced the action on Thursday. It accuses Harvard of fostering an unsafe campus environment by allowing “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” to assault Jewish students. Furthermore, the department alleges that Harvard is coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party, claiming the university has hosted and trained members of a Chinese paramilitary group as recently as 2024.
Harvard President Alan Garber has stated that the institution has made changes to its governance over the past year and a half. This includes a comprehensive strategy to combat antisemitism. He affirmed that Harvard would not compromise on its “core, legally-protected principles” due to fears of retaliation. Harvard has indicated that it will respond later to allegations first raised by House Republicans about coordination with the Chinese Communist Party.
The threat to Harvard’s international enrollment originates from an April 16 request from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Noem demanded that Harvard provide information about foreign students who could implicate them in violent or protest activities, leading possibly to their deportation.
Noem has stated that Harvard can regain its ability to host foreign students if it produces a trove of records on foreign students within 72 hours. Her updated request demands all records, including any audio or video footage, of foreign students participating in protests or dangerous activity on campus.
This development follows earlier reports that the university is facing over $2 billion in federal cuts imposed by the Republican administration.