Lawmakers and advocates are closely watching Harvard University to see whether international student visas will be the next front in the Trump administration’s war with educational institutions.
The university is at the center of President Donald Trump’s efforts to get back at higher education institutions for their handling of pro-Palestine protests last year, and with nearly 60 other schools in the administration’s crosshairs for their alleged mishandling of antisemitism, whatever happens with Harvard’s ability to host foreign students could have broader consequences.
Cyrus Mehta, an immigration attorney and member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, told NOTUS that the Department of Homeland Security’s demand for the student visa holders’ disciplinary records represents “a very dangerous trend” in the Trump administration’s war with educational institutions.
“Harvard should just challenge the request to give the student records and get it to federal court,” Mehta said, adding that international students should follow guidance from the university in the meantime. “There is no doubt there’s antisemitism, but the way it’s being deployed by this administration as a way to expand their powers is very, very disturbing, because there’s no way to define the parameters of what they may think is antisemitism.”
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In a letter to Harvard University on Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanded the records and said if Harvard doesn’t comply by April 30, its ability to host any foreign student will be immediately revoked — a decision she noted the university wouldn’t be able to appeal, an option institutions usually have when their certification is revoked.
“It is a privilege to have foreign students attend Harvard University, not a guarantee,” Noem wrote. “The United States Government understands that Harvard University relies heavily on foreign student funding from over 10,000 foreign students to build and maintain their substantial endowment.”
DHS did not respond to a request for comment about whether it plans to make similar demands to any of the other 59 universities the Trump administration is investigating for “antisemitic harassment and discrimination.”
The demand for records on foreign students who participated in the campus’ many pro-Palestine protests now puts the visa status of the university’s nearly 6,800 international students in jeopardy. Harvard says international students made up 27.2% of its enrolled students this academic year. Without Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, recently accepted foreign students wouldn’t be able to get the paperwork required to attend the school in the fall, either.
Harvard University did not respond to questions about how or if it would comply with Noem’s demands, but it has so far publicly pushed back against the Trump administration. Harvard’s International Office provided its international students with know-your-rights resources and guidance about international travel.
“Harvard will not share personal information with immigration authorities except as required by law or legal process (such as a subpoena or warrant). This includes students’ and employees’ personal information, academic records, or unpublished research,” its website states.
A Harvard spokesperson told student reporters in a statement Thursday that the university was aware of DHS’s demands and still stands by its previous statements.
“If federal action is taken against a member of our community, we expect it will be based on clear evidence, follow established legal procedures, and respect the constitutional rights afforded to all individuals,” the spokesperson wrote.
Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts praised Harvard’s response to the Trump administration’s demands in a statement emailed to NOTUS.
“When the Trump administration is using students, faculty, federal dollars, tax-exempt status, and the threat of investigation as pawns in a cruel game to bully Harvard and other institutions into silence, we have crossed a dangerous threshold,” Markey wrote. “I am proud of Harvard for standing up to Trump’s illegal power grabs, and I hope other institutions follow Harvard’s lead in fighting back against his authoritarian attacks.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who sent a letter to Trump administration officials about student visa revocations at Connecticut schools, praised Harvard, his alma mater, Thursday morning for “standing up” against the Trump administration. His comments were made at a news conference in New Haven, where Yale University’s campus resides — another institution the administration has set its sights on.
“Higher education has become a particular target. It is a cruel, craven attack on colleges and universities across the country, and he’s made Harvard an example of the kinds of dictatorial and tyrannical demands that he has made to try to subjugate academic freedom,” Blumenthal said.
Noem’s letter to Harvard comes after reports of widespread student visa revocations and removals of student records from DHS’s student exchange program database. The Associated Press reported that around 1,000 student visa holders have been affected so far, but the American Immigration Lawyers Association estimated that the figure was closer to 5,000, many of whom have said they were never involved in protests.
The threat to universities’ student exchange program certifications is just one method the Trump administration can use in its multipronged effort to chip away at elite colleges’ autonomy, with Harvard currently taking the brunt in a fight that’s playing out publicly and likely headed to court.
The Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, a coalition of administration officials from multiple departments, announced on Monday it froze $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard, citing “the harassment of Jewish students” on its campus.
“Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the
federal government,” Harvard’s counsel wrote in response. “Harvard remains open to dialogue about what the university has done, and is planning to do, to improve the experience of every member of its community. But Harvard is not prepared to agree to demands that go beyond the lawful authority of this or any administration.”
And, in yet another attack on the university, the Internal Revenue Service is also reportedly considering revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status after Trump accused the university of “pushing political, ideological and terrorist-inspired/supporting” ideas. First Amendment advocates decried the potential move as unconstitutional, and therefore challengeable in court.
“Universities and colleges should join in coalition against these outrageous Godfather offers and shakedowns from the White House. Trump means to destroy higher education and critical thought in America,” Rep. Jamie Raskin posted Tuesday on X.
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Emily Kennard is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.
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