Foreign Students Ban: Trump Gives Harvard 30 Days To Respond
The Donald Trump administration has given Harvard University 30 days to respond to a formal notice that could strip the institution of its ability to host international students.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security late Wednesday issued a “Notice of Intent to Withdraw” Harvard from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), citing alleged failures to comply with federal reporting requirements and maintain an environment “free from violence and antisemitism”.
The five-page notice invites the university to submit sworn statements or evidence within 30 days to refute the claims.
The move comes just as U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs prepares to hear arguments in Harvard’s lawsuit against the administration’s earlier attempt to revoke its student visa certification, an effort the university says was imposed without following legal protocols.
The timing of the notice could impact Thursday morning’s court hearing in Boston. Federal lawyers informed the judge of the new development late Wednesday.
The dispute is taking place at the same time as Harvard’s graduation ceremonies. While graduates walked through Harvard Yard in celebration, lawyers for both sides were preparing for what could become a major legal fight.
At the heart of the case is Harvard’s ability to admit international students, who make up more than 25% of the university’s total enrollment.
The Trump administration has frozen $2.2bn in federal funding to Harvard and demanded compliance with eliminating DEI programmes, banning masks at campus protests, and adopting merit-based hiring and admissions.
Harvard has challenged those demands in court, calling them politically motivated and unconstitutional.
Trump on Wednesday suggested that Harvard should reduce its international student population to “maybe around 15%, not 31%.”
He accused the university of showing “great disrespect” to the country and warned it was “getting in deeper and deeper”.
Harvard President Alan Garber has pushed back firmly, calling the federal actions “disproportionate and misdirected”.
He acknowledged ongoing concerns about antisemitism and inclusivity but argued the administration’s response punishes the institution broadly rather than targeting the specific issues it claims to address.
At Wednesday’s Class Day, former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar praised Garber’s stance, comparing it to Rosa Parks’ Civil Rights resistance.
Outside the campus gates, supporters reportedly gathered in solidarity. Retired immigration judge Patricia Sheppard, dressed in her judicial robe, held a sign reading “For the Rule of Law”.
Foreign Students Ban: Trump Gives Harvard 30 Days To Respond is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
