6 Conditions, 72 Hours: What Harvard Has To Do To Keep Foreign Students

Washington:

US President Donald Trump on Thursday revoked Harvard University’s authority to enroll worldwide college students beneath a federal authorities scheme known as the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). But, with a situation – or six. The Ivy League can nonetheless reverse the federal government’s ban and enroll international college students – in the event that they fulfill Trump’s circumstances inside 72 hours.

These circumstances embrace Harvard submitting all data (digital data, audio or video footage) relating to unlawful, harmful, or violent actions by a non-immigrant scholar enrolled within the college within the final 5 years. The Ivy League University also needs to submit all data, whether or not official or casual, relating to threats to different college students or college personnel, or deprivation of rights of different classmates or college personnel by a non-immigrant scholar enrolled within the college.

It additionally ordered the Ivy League to submit all disciplinary data of all non-immigrant college students and the audio or video footage of any protest exercise involving a non-immigrant scholar on a Harvard University campus within the final 5 years.

“If Harvard would love the chance of regaining Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification earlier than the upcoming educational college yr, you have to present all the info inside 72 hours,” the US authorities stated.

Over 6,000 worldwide college students enrolled at Harvard through the 2024-2025 educational yr, representing 27.3 per cent of the scholar physique, the college stated. According to Harvard’s data, between 500 and 800 Indian students and students are enrolled every year throughout its varied colleges and departments. As of now, 788 Indian college students are presently learning at Harvard, most in graduate-level programmes.

The Trump administration despatched a letter to Harvard placing a ban on the college’s capacity to enroll worldwide college students amid an ongoing investigation into the college by the Department of Homeland Security.

“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus. It is a privilege, not a proper, for universities to enroll international college students and profit from their larger tuition funds to assist pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had loads of alternative to do the suitable factor. It refused,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated in a put up on X.

She added that Harvard has “misplaced their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification because of their failure to stick to the regulation”.

This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.

It is a privilege, not a proper, for universities to enroll international college students and profit from their larger tuition funds… pic.twitter.com/12hJWd1J86

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) May 22, 2025

What Harvard stated

Shortly after receiving the letter, Harvard slammed the Trump administration and known as the transfer “illegal”.

According to Harvard, the US authorities’s transfer is a retaliatory motion that threatens “critical hurt” to the college.

“We are totally dedicated to sustaining Harvard’s capacity to host worldwide college students and students, who hail from greater than 140 nations and enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably. We are working shortly to supply steerage and assist to members of our group. This retaliatory motion threatens critical hurt to the Harvard group and our nation, and undermines Harvard’s educational and analysis mission,” Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton stated in an announcement.