Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke the Ivy League institution’s ability to enrol international students.
In a complaint lodged in Boston federal court, Harvard described the revocation as a “blatant violation” of the US Constitution and other federal laws, warning of an “immediate and devastating effect” on the university and more than 7,000 visa holders.
“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,” Harvard said.
The university added that the move was “the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government’s demands to control Harvard’s governance, curriculum, and the ‘ideology’ of its faculty and students.”
The decision came after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the termination of Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification on Thursday, effective from the 2025-2026 academic year. Noem accused Harvard of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.”
Harvard currently enrols nearly 6,800 international students, representing 27 per cent of its total student body, according to university figures.
The university stated the revocation would force it to retract thousands of admissions and has thrown “countless” academic programmes, clinics, courses, and research laboratories into disarray, just days before graduation.
“Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” the 389-year-old institution said.
Boluwatife Enome
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