Live

Harvard, Trump Admin Clash Over International Student Enrollment

Columns along the side of Harvard’s Widener Library in the spring.
Columns along the side of Harvard’s Widener Library in the spring. By E. Matteo Diaz

Pinned

Judge Blocks Trump Proclamation Banning International Students From Entering U.S. on Harvard Visas

Updated June 5, 2025, at 10:34 p.m.

A federal judge granted Harvard’s request for a temporary restraining order hours after the University asked her to block the Trump administration’s Wednesday proclamation banning international students from entering the United States on Harvard-sponsored visas.

An hour ago

Harvard Could Face Uphill Battle in Court as It Challenges Trump’s Proclamation

By Samuel A. Church, Dhruv T. Patel, Cam N. Srivastava, and Grace E. Yoon, Crimson Staff Writers
Harvard added Donald Trump's proclamation banning entry to the United States on Harvard-hosted visas to its ongoing lawsuit against the administration's attacks on its international students.
Harvard added Donald Trump's proclamation banning entry to the United States on Harvard-hosted visas to its ongoing lawsuit against the administration's attacks on its international students. By Pavan V. Thakkar

Harvard’s effort to overturn President Donald Trump’s Wednesday order barring incoming international students from entering the country to attend Harvard is unlikely to yield a quick or easy legal victory, according to more than a dozen legal experts.

The order, framed as a national security measure, cites Harvard’s alleged failure to cooperate with federal requests for information and directs the State Department to review the visa status of current international students and researchers on a case-by-case basis. Harvard swiftly challenged the proclamation in court, arguing that it is retaliatory, violates the University’s First Amendment rights, and oversteps the president’s authority.

4 hours ago

Harvard Asks Judge To Block Trump Proclamation Banning Entry of New International Students

Banners hang from Widener Library for Harvard’s Commencement ceremony in May 2025.
Banners hang from Widener Library for Harvard’s Commencement ceremony in May 2025. By Briana Howard Pagán

Updated June 5, 2025, at 7:33 p.m.

Harvard filed an amended complaint in federal court Thursday evening, accusing the Trump administration of unlawfully retaliating against the school by barring international students from entering the United States on visas to attend Harvard.

A day ago

Trump Issues Proclamation Banning International Students at Harvard From Entering U.S.

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation Wednesday barring international students from entering the U.S. to study at Harvard.
President Donald Trump issued a proclamation Wednesday barring international students from entering the U.S. to study at Harvard. By Caroline S. Engelmayer

Updated June 5, 2025, at 7:26 a.m.

United States President Donald Trump issued a proclamation Wednesday evening barring foreign students from entering the U.S. to attend Harvard, citing national security concerns and accusing the University of failing to comply with federal agencies.

6 days ago

State Department Will Review Social Media Accounts of Harvard Student Visa Applicants for Antisemitism

By Samuel A. Church and Cam N. Srivastava, Crimson Staff Writers

The State Department will begin reviewing the social media accounts of Harvard student visa applicants for antisemitism as part of the applicants’ vetting process, according to a cable obtained by Politico.

Consular offices will “conduct a complete screening of the online presence of any nonimmigrant visa applicant seeking to travel to Harvard University for any purpose,” according to the cable, which was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and sent on Thursday.

7 days ago

Harvard Celebrates, With Unity and Defiance, as Courtroom Battle Coincides With 374th Commencement

By Dhruv T. Patel and Grace E. Yoon, Crimson Staff Writers
Graduating students smile and hug each other at Harvard’s 374th Commencement.
Graduating students smile and hug each other at Harvard’s 374th Commencement. By Briana Howard Pagán

It was, by most appearances, a normal Commencement: bagpipes, speeches, caps flung skyward.

But for students in the crowd, the day was shaped by a courtroom battle over the fate of Harvard’s international students that played out simultaneously with the ceremony — and by Harvard’s historic, high-stakes standoff with the Trump administration.

7 days ago

New Grads Relieved After Judge Extends Harvard’s Block on DHS Order Mid-Commencement

By William C. Mao and Akshaya Ravi, Crimson Staff Writers

As new graduates and their families left Tercentenary Theatre at the end of Commencement and turned their cellphones back on, they were met with news that a federal judge had extended a block on the Trump administration’s attempt to cut off Harvard’s ability to enroll international students.

Though many attendees had not taken in the details of the ruling, which was announced in a hearing in Boston midway through novelist Abraham Verghese’s address, they said they were glad to hear Harvard’s international students were receiving further relief.

Haroon Hyder, a Harvard School of Public Health graduate, said it was “common sense” to protect international students since they are “what makes Harvard great.”

7 days ago

Judge Extends Harvard’s Block on DHS Order, but DHS Makes Strategic Pivot

By Matan H. Josephy and Laurel M. Shugart, Crimson Staff Writers
Thursday's hearing took place in the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston.
Thursday's hearing took place in the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston. By Naomi S. Castellon-Perez

Updated May 31, 2025, at 2:41 a.m.

BOSTON — A federal judge on Thursday upheld a block on the Trump administration’s attempt to end Harvard’s enrollment of international students while the University’s lawsuit against the federal government proceeds in court.

8 days ago

DHS Will Move To Revoke Chinese Student Visas, Putting More Than 1,000 Harvard Students at Risk

By Samuel A. Church, Dhruv T. Patel, and Cam N. Srivastava, Crimson Staff Writers
Students walk through Harvard Yard on a rainy day in March.
Students walk through Harvard Yard on a rainy day in March. By Pavan V. Thakkar

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday evening that the Department of Homeland Security would start to revoke Chinese students’ visas — a directive that could put more than a thousand Harvard students at risk.

According to the Harvard International Office, 1,282 students from China currently study at Harvard. More than 277,000 Chinese international students studied in the United States last year.

8 days ago

Trump Proposes Cutting International Student Enrollment at Harvard to 15 Percent

By William C. Mao and Dhruv T. Patel, Crimson Staff Writers
Pedestrians walk through Harvard's campus in front of Sever Hall this spring. In Wednesday remarks to reporters in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump proposed slashing the proportion of international students at Harvard to 15 percent.
Pedestrians walk through Harvard's campus in front of Sever Hall this spring. In Wednesday remarks to reporters in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump proposed slashing the proportion of international students at Harvard to 15 percent. By Barbara A. Sheehan

President Donald Trump proposed slashing the proportion of international students at Harvard to 15 percent, continuing a string of recent comments criticizing the University and disparaging its student body.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said Harvard’s international student population — which accounts for approximately 30 percent of Harvard’s total student body — should be capped at “maybe around 15 percent.”

8 days ago

Harvard Files for Preliminary Injunction In Lawsuit Against DHS

By Dhruv T. Patel and Grace E. Yoon, Crimson Staff Writers
The American flag flies from University Hall over the John Harvard statue and a crowd of students and tourists in April.
The American flag flies from University Hall over the John Harvard statue and a crowd of students and tourists in April. By Pavan V. Thakkar

Harvard asked a federal judge on Wednesday to issue a preliminary injunction blocking the United States Department of Homeland Security from revoking its certification to host international students, warning of irreparable harm to the University and its affiliation.

The motion comes just days after a federal judge granted Harvard a temporary restraining order blocking the DHS from enforcing its order to strip Harvard of its Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification.

9 days ago

Pause on Visa Interviews Could Snarl Plans for Harvard’s Incoming International Students, Scholars

By Samuel A. Church and Cam N. Srivastava, Crimson Staff Writers
An American flag flies over the John Harvard statue outside University Hall. The Trump administration on Tuesday ordered United States embassies and consulates to pause scheduling interviews for student visa applicants.
An American flag flies over the John Harvard statue outside University Hall. The Trump administration on Tuesday ordered United States embassies and consulates to pause scheduling interviews for student visa applicants. By Thomas Maisonneuve

The Trump administration ordered United States embassies and consulates to pause scheduling interviews for student visa applicants, according to a Tuesday cable from Secretary of State Marco Rubio obtained by Politico — potentially disrupting the plans of incoming Harvard students.

The directive was issued as the administration considers whether to require all foreign students applying to study in the U.S. to undergo social media vetting, Politico reported. It instructed embassies and consulates not to add interview capacity until they receive further guidance.

13 days ago

HUA Issues Statement Backing International Students Against Trump Attacks

By Darcy G Lin and Claire L. Simon, Crimson Staff Writers
The Harvard Undergraduate Association condemned the Trump administration in a statement on Instagram.
The Harvard Undergraduate Association condemned the Trump administration in a statement on Instagram. By Frank S. Zhou

The Harvard Undergraduate Association, the College’s student government, released a statement Friday condemning the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke Harvard’s ability to host foreign students.

“The Harvard Undergraduate Association stands in complete solidarity with members of our international community and strongly condemns the explicit targeting of Harvard’s international population,” the HUA wrote in a statement, which was posted on the association’s Instagram account.

13 days ago

Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Admin From Revoking Harvard’s Ability To Enroll International Students

By Dhruv T. Patel and Grace E. Yoon, Crimson Staff Writers

Updated May 23, 2025, at 4:05 p.m.

A federal judge granted Harvard a temporary restraining order in its suit to block the Trump administration’s efforts to revoke its authorization to enroll international students.

14 days ago

Harvard Sues Trump Admin Over International Enrollment Block

By Dhruv T. Patel and Grace E. Yoon, Crimson Staff Writers
Massachusetts Hall houses the office of Harvard President Alan M. Garber and the Central Administration.
Massachusetts Hall houses the office of Harvard President Alan M. Garber and the Central Administration. By Julian J. Giordano

Updated May 23, 2025, at 1:05 p.m.

Harvard sued the Trump administration Friday morning and filed a temporary restraining order shortly to stop the Department of Homeland Security from revoking its certification to enroll international students.

14 days ago

Faculty Deans, Department Administrators Express Support for International Students

After the Trump administration announced it revoked Harvard's authorization to enroll international students, several faculty deans and departmental adminsitrators sent messages of support to international students.
After the Trump administration announced it revoked Harvard's authorization to enroll international students, several faculty deans and departmental adminsitrators sent messages of support to international students. By E. Matteo Diaz

Harvard College faculty deans and departmental administrators sent messages of support for international students after the Trump administration revoked the University’s ability to enroll them — even as Harvard’s top leaders remain quiet.

“In its fight with Harvard specifically and higher education generally, the Trump administration is using international students as pawns,” Philosophy chair Bernhard Nickel wrote to his department. “International students are essential members of our community. We welcome you.”

14 days ago

What SEVP Revocation Would Mean for International Students at Harvard

By Samuel A. Church, Cam N. Srivastava, and Grace E. Yoon, Crimson Staff Writers
After the Trump administration announced it revoked Harvard's ability to enroll international students, The Crimson spoke to several immigration attorneys to understand what this means for Harvard students.
After the Trump administration announced it revoked Harvard's ability to enroll international students, The Crimson spoke to several immigration attorneys to understand what this means for Harvard students. By Pavan V. Thakkar

Current international students will need to transfer out of Harvard or risk losing their ability to remain in the United States lawfully if the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to revoke Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification remains in effect.

While it is likely that Harvard will challenge the revocation in court, the loss of SEVP certification would be catastrophic for those who rely on student visas to attend Harvard.

14 days ago

Trump Admin Revokes Harvard’s Authorization To Enroll International Students

The Trump administration revoked Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, halting its ability to enroll international students.
The Trump administration revoked Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, halting its ability to enroll international students. By E. Matteo Diaz

Updated May 22, 2025, at 3:25 p.m.

The Trump administration revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll international students on Thursday, dramatically escalating the administration’s fight with the University and threatening thousands of current students.

A month ago

Harvard Sends International Students’ Info to DHS, Does Not Specify What Records Were Shared

By Samuel A. Church and Cam N. Srivastava, Crimson Staff Writers
Harvard responded on Wednesday to a request from the Department of Homeland Security for information from international students' disciplinary records.
Harvard responded on Wednesday to a request from the Department of Homeland Security for information from international students' disciplinary records. By Claire A. Michal

Updated April 30, 2025, at 9:34 p.m.

Harvard shared information with the Department of Homeland Security in response to its request for information on international students’ disciplinary records and illegal activity, the University announced in a Wednesday evening email to affiliates.

A month ago

Protesters Urge Harvard To Reject DHS Demands, Reinstate Affinity Graduation Ceremonies

By Samuel A. Church and Cam N. Srivastava, Crimson Staff Writers
New HUA Co-Presidents Abdullah Shahid Sial '27 and Caleb N. Thompson '27 speak at a Students for Freedom Protest.
New HUA Co-Presidents Abdullah Shahid Sial '27 and Caleb N. Thompson '27 speak at a Students for Freedom Protest. By Samuel A. Church

After a few brief weeks celebrating Harvard’s decision to resist the Trump administration’s federal funding conditions, more than 80 students and faculty went back to protesting the University on Tuesday, rallying against the decision to end affinity celebrations in the Science Center Plaza.

In speeches, organizers said the decision to eliminate affinity celebrations undermined Harvard’s vow of resistance, and warned that providing the Department of Homeland Security requested information about international students would be repeating the same mistake.

A month ago

As Deadline to Address DHS Letter Nears, Experts Say Harvard Should Sue — Again

By Samuel A. Church and Cam N. Srivastava, Crimson Staff Writers
Students walk through the lawn of Tercentenary Theater. Legal experts say that Harvard should consider filing a second lawsuit to target threats against international students.
Students walk through the lawn of Tercentenary Theater. Legal experts say that Harvard should consider filing a second lawsuit to target threats against international students. By Barbara A. Sheehan

Updated April 30, 2025, at 10:31 p.m.

Harvard has taken the Trump administration to court over federal funding, but the University has given no indication about how it will respond to the Department of Homeland Security’s request for information on international students.

A month ago

College Dean Rakesh Khurana Declines To Say How Harvard Will Respond to Homeland Security Demands

By Samuel A. Church and Cam N. Srivastava, Crimson Staff Writers

Outgoing College Dean Rakesh Khurana declined to say whether Harvard would provide the United States Department of Homeland Security information on international students’ disciplinary records and protest participation in a Tuesday interview with The Crimson.

The Department of Homeland Security threatened to revoke Harvard’s eligibility to host international students in a letter to University officials on April 16, unless administrators submit information about their compliance with campus policies.

2 months ago

DHS Threatens To Revoke Harvard’s Eligibility To Host International Students Unless It Turns Over Disciplinary Records

By Samuel A. Church and Cam N. Srivastava, Crimson Staff Writers
The Memorial Hall spire overlooks Harvard's campus.
The Memorial Hall spire overlooks Harvard's campus. By Claire A. Michal

Updated April 17, 2025, at 3:52 p.m.

The Department of Homeland Security sent Harvard a letter on Wednesday threatening to revoke its eligibility to enroll international students unless it submits information on international students’ disciplinary records and protest participation.

Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.

Tags
CollegeCentral AdministrationCollege AdministrationPoliticsFAS AdministrationFacultyUniversityTrumpInternational StudentsGlobal HarvardImmigrationFront Bottom Feature