Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem threatened to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students, the latest broadside from the Trump administration against the Ivy League school.
Noem ordered the university to submit records on what she says is “illegal and violent activities” from international students by April 30, or Harvard would suffer the “immediate loss of Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification,” according to a DHS press release released late Wednesday. The certification program is what allows institutions to enroll foreign students.
Noem also announced the canceling of two department grants worth over $2.7 million to the university, “declaring it unfit to be entrusted with taxpayer dollars.”
“Harvard bending the knee to antisemitism — driven by its spineless leadership — fuels a cesspool of extremist riots and threatens our national security,” Noem said in the press release.
Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton said in a statement DHS’ letter — along with the other recent retaliatory measures the Trump administration has taken against the university — “follows on the heels of our statement that Harvard will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
“We continue to stand by that statement,” Newton said. “We will continue to comply with the law and expect the Administration to do the same.”
International students currently make up roughly 27 percent of Harvard’s total enrollment, according to university data from the 2024-25 academic year.
The Trump administration has launched several punitive actions over the past week against Harvard since the university rejected demands from the White House to change its policies on student and faculty conduct and admissions.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump threatened to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status, and the day before, the White House pulled over $2.2 billion of the institution’s federal funding.
The announcement comes as the Trump administration has been revoking hundreds of international student visas in recent weeks — without notifying institutions.
