9 hours ago
Last Updated:May 23, 2025, 10:04 IST
The tensions between the Trump administration and Harvard University have been steadily building for months.
US President Donald Trump
The Donald Trump administration stripped Harvard University of its authority to admit international students. This unprecedented decision, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), immediately casts a shadow of uncertainty over nearly 6,800 foreign students currently enrolled at Harvard, including hundreds from India, who now face the prospect of transferring or losing their legal status in the US.
Why Donald Trump Administration Blocked Harvard’s Foreign Admissions?
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that the move was a direct consequence of Harvard’s refusal to comply with federal demands for records regarding its foreign students. Kristi Noem accused Harvard of “perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies and employs racist ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ policies.'" The DHS’s action revokes Harvard’s certification under the Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP), which is essential for universities to sponsor international student visas.
What Harvard Has Said In Response?
Harvard University swiftly denounced the Trump administration’s action as “unlawful" and a “retaliatory action." In a statement, the Ivy League institution emphasized its commitment to its international community, asserting, “We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably."
How Tensions Between Trump Administration And Harvard University Escalated?
The tensions between the Trump administration and Harvard University have been steadily building for months. In April 2025, Harvard became the first elite university to openly reject the White House’s demands to curtail pro-Palestinian protests and dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. After this, various federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Institutes of Health, began cutting and freezing significant federal grant funding to Harvard, totaling billions of dollars and impacting numerous research projects.
Donald Trump then said that Harvard should lose its tax-exempt status, a move that would severely cripple the university’s ability to fundraise due to its implications for donor tax burdens.
Following this, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the administration, accusing it of violating the First Amendment and engaging in “arbitrary and capricious" funding cuts. Harvard has consistently maintained that it will not “surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights" in the face of government overreach.
However, the Trump administration has said that it views its actions as holding Harvard “accountable" for what it perceives as a hostile campus environment and a failure to address antisemitism.
Location :Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
First Published:News world Trump vs Harvard: Why Foreign Students Are Now Barred And What's Behind The Feud?
