The Trump administration on Thursday backed off from its initial plan to immediately revoke Harvard University’s authorisation to enroll international students. Instead, it will allow the university 30 days to contest the proposed revocation through a longer administrative process.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued Harvard a formal notice of intent to withdraw its certification under the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). This certification is what permits Harvard to enroll non-US students.
The Department of Justice filed this notice in court in advance of a scheduled hearing before U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston. The hearing was to address whether to extend a temporary restraining order that currently blocks the Trump administration from stripping Harvard of its ability to host international students.
Harvard has strongly opposed the proposed revocation, asserting in court filings that the move violates its constitutional rights to free speech and due process. The university also argued that DHS failed to follow its own regulations, which require the agency to provide at least 30 days’ notice and an opportunity for the university to respond and appeal through an administrative process.
The potential loss of SEVP certification would have significant consequences for Harvard, which says approximately 27% of its student body—nearly 6,800 students—are international. The university claims the revocation would be devastating, both for the institution and for the students affected.
Harvard has denied a range of accusations from the Trump administration, including alleged bias against conservatives, fostering antisemitism on campus, and collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party. In its defense, the university described the administration's actions as part of an “unprecedented and retaliatory attack on academic freedom.”
Homeland Security officials said they issued the notice after Harvard indicated an intention to comply with SEVP requirements. Despite that, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a harsh statement, saying, “We continue to reject Harvard’s repeated pattern of endangering its students and spreading American hate—it must change its ways to be eligible to receive generous benefits from the American people.”
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Harvard has not yet issued a public response to the latest developments. The controversy escalated on May 22, when Noem announced the revocation of Harvard’s SEVP certification. She accused the university—without providing evidence—of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.”
In a letter accompanying the decision, Noem criticised the university for allegedly refusing to comply with broad federal requests for information on student visa holders. These requests included data on any activities by international students that might be illegal, violent, or subject to disciplinary action.
Harvard has also filed a separate lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s decision to terminate nearly $3 billion in federal research funding. The university contends that the administration is punishing it for resisting attempts to interfere in its governance, academic curriculum, and the ideological makeup of its faculty and student body. Judge Burroughs, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, is presiding over the case. It remains ongoing.
Meanwhile, President Trump further stirred controversy by telling reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday that Harvard should impose a 15 per cent cap on the number of non-U.S. students it admits—a statement that signals a broader push by the administration to reshape the landscape of higher education in America. If the revocation were finalised, Harvard would be barred from admitting new international students, and current international students would be required to transfer to other SEVP-certified institutions or risk losing their legal status in the U.S.
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