UPDATE MAY 22, 5:04 P.M.: A federal judge in California has blocked the Trump administration from revoking international students’ legal status while a lawsuit challenging previous terminations plays out, the Associated Press reported. The injunction could temporarily protect students at Harvard from losing their visas.
Harvard’s authorization to host international students was revoked Thursday by U.S. Secretary for Homeland Security Kristi Noem. If the government’s action stands—and it will almost surely face a legal challenge—the move will affect the 2025-2026 academic year and prevent the University from enrolling international students who are legally in the United States under the Student Exchange and Visitor Program. Currently enrolled international students attending Harvard under that program will be forced to enroll at another U.S. institution or leave the country.
With her dramatic announcement, shared via a letter to the University and later on social media, Noem followed through on a threat she made in April as the Trump administration’s attacks on Harvard intensified.The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which manages foreign students and exchange visitors to the United States, is run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
On April 16, Noem had written to Harvard demanding that the University produce records of any “illegal and violent activities” by foreign students studying at Harvard on student visas. Failure to comply, she said, would result in loss of SEVP certification. Today’s suspension of Harvard’s certification followed “a back-and-forth in recent days” about the legality of that request, according to the New York Times.
Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton said, “The government’s action is unlawful. We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University—and this nation—immeasurably. We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”
There were 6,793 international students enrolled at Harvard during the 2024-2025 academic year, representing 27.3 percent of the student body. The tuition and other student charges they pay are an important source of income for the University. In fiscal year 2024, student-related income (such as tuition, room, and board fees, minus University-provided financial aid) was about $1.4 billion, representing approximately 21 percent of Harvard’s total operating revenue. International students typically pay closer to the full cost of a Harvard education than students from the United States.
