The homeland safety secretary posted the announcement on social media platform X.
The Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) has revoked certification of Harvard College’s international scholar admissions program, Secretary Kristi Noem introduced on social media platform X on Might 22.
The choice prohibits Harvard from enrolling worldwide college students by way of its Pupil and Trade Customer Program.
“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” Noem wrote.
“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. Harvard had plenty of opportunities to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law.”
Noem’s Might 22 assertion stated a mix of infractions by Harvard, together with collaborating with the Chinese language Communist Occasion (CCP) and fostering an environment of “pro-terrorist conduct from students on its campus,” led to this motion.
The revocation additionally implies that present international college students should switch to a different college or lose their authorized standing, the assertion stated.
“Harvard’s leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment,” the assertion learn.
“Many of these agitators are foreign students. Harvard’s leadership further facilitated, and engaged in coordinated activity with the CCP, including hosting and training members of a CCP paramilitary group complicit in the Uyghur genocide.”
Harvard College known as the federal authorities’s motion on this matter illegal.
“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,” Harvard College spokesman Jason Newton stated in an e-mail to The Epoch Occasions.
“We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”
The DHS terminated $2.7 million in grants to Harvard in April. Noem stated college directors refused to conform together with her April 16 calls for requesting details about “criminality and misconduct” of international college students on its campus.
The struggle between the federal authorities and Harvard started earlier in 2025 after President Donald Trump issued government orders—citing the 1964 Civil Rights Act—prohibiting campus anti-Semitism and variety, fairness, and inclusion (DEI) practices in hiring, worker coaching, scholar admissions, and instruction.
Harvard President Alan Garber introduced that he wouldn’t comply, prompting the Trump administration to freeze greater than $2.2 billion in grants and contracts.
Harvard then filed a federal lawsuit searching for to unfreeze the cash and deem the federal authorities’s actions unconstitutional. Trump responded by threatening to revoke the college’s tax-exempt standing, and Training Secretary Linda McMahon introduced that Harvard wouldn’t obtain future federal grants until the college modified its administration.
Noem’s involvement has escalated this battle to a brand new degree, and the Trump administration is now publicizing examples of the college’s alleged DEI practices, anti-Semitism, and collaboration with the CCP.
“Harvard researchers collaborated with China-based academics on projects funded by an Iranian government agent and partnered with Chinese universities tied to military advancements, including aerospace and optics research, using U.S. Department of Defense funds,” Noem’s Might 22 assertion reads.
“Harvard partnered with individuals linked to China’s defense-industrial base, including conducting robotics research with military applications.”
Harvard has ample assist from the upper training group. Greater than 600 faculty and college leaders have signed letters supporting its litigation towards the Trump administration.
Steven Pinker, Harvard psychology professor, offered perception on this struggle from a tenured school member’s viewpoint. He accused the Trump administration of taking an authoritarian strategy, however he additionally stated the argument of ending DEI practices to make sure equity for all has advantage.
Whereas Pinker disagrees with Trump’s try to mandate “viewpoint diversity” on campuses, he stated he does suppose that Harvard would profit by having extra politically conservative professors within the political science and social science departments, which might additionally assist promote extra thorough peer overview efforts and high quality management in analysis.
“Ideology is like breath,” he stated throughout a Might 21 discuss with Heterodox Academy. “You never smell your own.”
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