The Trump administration has warned Harvard University that it could lose the right to host international students unless it hands over detailed records of alleged “illegal and violent activities” involving its foreign student body.
In a letter dated Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) demanded that Harvard provide information on visa-holding students accused of disrupting campus life, threatening others, or participating in protests.
Failure to comply by April 30 could result in the revocation of Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which allows the university to admit international students.
Harvard currently hosts 6,793 international students—comprising 27.2% of its 2024–25 enrollment.
In addition to the threat of decertification, the administration has also canceled two federal grants to Harvard worth approximately $2.7 million.
The crackdown follows mounting tensions between elite academic institutions and the Trump White House, which has accused universities of fostering environments hostile to Jewish students and of failing to adequately respond to campus protests linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
The DHS letter reportedly states: “It is a privilege to have foreign students attend Harvard University, not a guarantee,” and accuses the institution of maintaining a “hostile learning environment” for Jewish students, The Harvard Crimson reports.
The agency is requesting information on foreign students involved in “threats to other students or university personnel,” disciplinary actions related to protests, and any activities deemed obstructive to the university’s academic operations.
Harvard has responded with defiance.
“We will not surrender our independence or relinquish our constitutional rights,” a university spokesperson said adding that the university expects the administration to act lawfully and respect the rights of the community members.
The escalating standoff comes amid a broader federal campaign to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and impose new hiring and admissions mandates at top universities.
Trump officials are also reportedly pushing to ban protest masks and reduce administrative authority seen as sympathetic to activist causes.
The administration has already revoked the visas of 12 Harvard students and recent graduates, and is moving to cancel the visas of hundreds more students, scholars, and faculty members across U.S. universities — some in connection with alleged ties to extremist groups, others over minor legal infractions.