Harvard pushes back as Trump Administration targets international student enrollment

Harvard University is pushing back against a sweeping decision by the Trump administration to revoke its ability to enroll international students.

(CNN)- Harvard University is pushing back against a sweeping decision by the Trump administration to revoke its ability to enroll international students— a move that could affect more than a quarter of its student population. Harvard Government Professor Ryan Enos called the decision “shocking,” adding, “This is something that cannot be done in the United States.” Enos said many of his colleagues were equally stunned by the federal order.

The Department of Homeland Security issued the directive, stating that Harvard “can no longer enroll foreign students” and that existing international students must either transfer to other institutions or face losing their legal status in the U.S.

The university condemned the order as “unlawful,” describing it as a “retaliatory action” following Harvard’s refusal to hand over conduct records of foreign students requested by DHS last month.

In a social media post, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Harvard of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus”—claims the university has not publicly addressed in detail.

Enos disputed that narrative, saying, “I don’t think it’s the context that any reasonable person thinks is going on at Harvard. It’s the Trump administration trying to come up with reasons to attack an institution that doesn’t like them politically.”

According to university records, more than 6,700 international students are currently enrolled at Harvard—roughly 27 percent of its total student body for the 2024–2025 academic year.