Trump admin bars Harvard from enrolling international students including current

People walk through a gate as they exit Harvard Yard on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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The Trump administration has revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The details were sent in a letter to the school, and the changes impact currently enrolled international students.

"This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus," Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, wrote in a statement. "It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments."

In a statement, Harvard said the action was "unlawful."

"This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard's academic and research mission," the statement said. "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."

Harvard has nearly 7,000 international students, which make up about 27% of the entire student body.

A Harvard undergraduate student from Canada told NPR, "I'm supposed to graduate in exactly a week and I'm definitely quite nervous." 

The student did not want to be identified because she fears retaliation from the U.S. government, and went on to say, "This does a lot more than threaten our education. This has made international students feel like outsiders at Harvard, when it's actually the opposite situation. We bring cultural perspectives and research contributions that strengthen the university."

A third year student from Europe said he is fearful and uneasy in the face of this new order, not just for his education, but for future work opportunities. 

"A lot of us, myself included, have internships and jobs here in the United States over the summer, and none of us really know how this will affect that." 

The third year student, who also did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation, said he is awaiting Harvard's next steps to make decisions about what to do next. 

"I think the range of outcomes from here to September is incredibly broad. We could really have anything, from we all have to leave over the summer to Harvard successfully [suing] the government."

More than 1.1 million international students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities in the 2023-'24 school year. They do not qualify for federal financial aid, and so for many colleges represent a crucial financial lifeline.

Last academic year, international students contributed more than $43 billion to the U.S. economy, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators.