The Trump administration in the US has taken a dramatic step to curtail Harvard University’s ability to enrol international students, revoking its access to the federal SEVIS database—the core system used to track foreign student visa compliance. The move, announced by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday, threatens the legal status of roughly 6,800 international students at the university and is being viewed as a politically charged escalation in the administration’s campaign against elite institutions, the New York Times reported.
How the government controls foreign student enrolment
While Harvard is a private university, it relies on federal certification through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a Homeland Security-run database used to verify that international students meet the terms of their F-1 and J-1 visas. Without access to SEVIS, Harvard cannot officially certify student enrolment, meaning even students who hold valid visas would become noncompliant—and potentially deportable—if their university can no longer maintain their records.
According to Homeland Security, Harvard’s SEVIS certification was revoked effective immediately, cutting the university off from updating or confirming the enrolment status of its foreign students. Though the students’ visas technically remain valid, Harvard’s inability to input data into SEVIS means the government no longer considers those students legally enrolled.
Impact on Harvard students
The consequences are swift and severe. Students currently enrolled at Harvard could lose their legal status, placing them at risk of removal unless they transfer to another SEVIS-certified institution or obtain court protection. International students have 60 days from the end of their academic program to leave the country or change their visa status. But with the spring term ending on May 26, students are left with little time—and a lot of uncertainty.
Summer breaks typically allow students to remain in the US if they are continuing their studies in the fall. However, Harvard’s SEVIS revocation raises questions about whether that grace period still applies.
Legal and constitutional questions
Legal experts say Harvard is likely to challenge the decision in court. Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, argues that the move by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is likely to be struck down as unlawful.
“Harvard will argue that the actions of the secretary are arbitrary and capricious,” Tobias said. “A court is likely to find that she lacks the power to eliminate its program for international students.”
Stacy Tolchin, an immigration attorney, added that the university may also have grounds to sue under First Amendment protections, asserting that the action constitutes political retaliation against Harvard for its prior clashes with the Trump administration.
What happens next
It remains unclear whether DHS will move to revoke SEVIS access for other universities that have criticized the administration or whether this move was designed solely to isolate Harvard. For now, Harvard’s international students remain in limbo, and legal action appears imminent.
The standoff underscores the federal government’s powerful role in immigration enforcement, even against private institutions, and signals a broader effort by the Trump administration to reshape the US higher education system through aggressive executive
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