DHS threatens to revoke Harvard’s eligibility to host foreign students amid broader battle over universities’ autonomy

The Trump administration has significantly dialed up its pressure on Harvard University, not only freezing $2 billion in federal funding but now threatening its eligibility to host international students after school leaders refused to make key policy changes the White House also is demanding of other elite US colleges.

The Trump administration has significantly dialed up its pressure on Harvard University, not only freezing $2 billion in federal funding but now threatening its eligibility to host international students after school leaders refused to make key policy changes the White House also is demanding of other elite US colleges. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent Harvard “a scathing letter demanding detailed records on Harvard’s foreign student visa holders’ illegal and violent activities by April 30, 2025, or face immediate loss of Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification,” her agency said Wednesday in a news release that refers to antisemitism but does not detail specific incidents. The letter, which the government did not immediately release, accuses Harvard of creating a “hostile learning environment” for Jewish students, the Harvard Crimson student newspaper reported, adding, “It is a privilege to have foreign students attend Harvard University, not a guarantee.” Harvard is aware of the letter and stands by its previous statement it “will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” a spokesperson said late Wednesday. CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit, which is in charge of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, for more information. Noem’s letter followed Harvard’s refusal this week to submit to the Republican administration’s demands it eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, ban masks at campus protests, enact merit-based hiring and admissions reforms, and reduce the power of faculty and administrators the White House has called “more committed to activism than scholarship.”