The Trump administration has significantly escalated its pressure on Harvard University, not only freezing $2 billion in federal funding but now jeopardizing its eligibility to host international students. This comes after school leaders refused to implement key policy changes demanded by the White House, which they are also pushing on other elite US colleges. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent Harvard “a stern letter demanding detailed records on Harvard’s foreign student visa holders’ illegal and violent activities by April 30, 2025, or face immediate loss of Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification,” her agency stated in a Wednesday news release that referenced antisemitism but did not specify incidents.
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The letter, which the government has yet to release, accuses Harvard of fostering a “hostile learning environment” for Jewish students, as reported by the Harvard Crimson student newspaper, adding, “It is a privilege to have foreign students attend Harvard University, not a guarantee.”
Harvard acknowledges the letter and reaffirms its previous statement that it “will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” a spokesperson said late Wednesday.
CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit, responsible for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, for further information.
Noem’s letter follows Harvard’s refusal this week to comply with the Republican administration’s demands to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, ban masks at campus protests, enact merit-based hiring and admissions reforms, and reduce the influence of faculty and administrators whom the White House deems “more committed to activism than scholarship.”
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The Ivy League institution near Boston appears to be the first elite US university to reject these demands, which Trump officials claim are aimed at combating antisemitism following contentious campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and dismantling DEI practices they denounce as “illegal and immoral discrimination.”
The Trump administration has broadly moved to revoke the visas of hundreds of students, faculty, and researchers at numerous US universities and colleges. Some cases involve alleged support of terror organizations, while others involve relatively minor offenses, such as years-old misdemeanors.
Meanwhile, the Internal Revenue Service is also planning to rescind Harvard’s tax-exempt status, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke with CNN.
Additionally, Noem announced on Wednesday the cancellation of $2.7 million in federal violence prevention grants for a Harvard program her agency alleges “branded conservatives as far-right dissidents in a shockingly skewed study” and another it describes as “public health propaganda,” the Department of Homeland Security news release stated, adding, “Both undermine America’s values and security.”
On Monday, the Trump administration announced the freezing of $2.2 billion in grants and contracts to Harvard, joining other institutions, including Princeton, Cornell, and Northwestern universities, which have also experienced pauses in federal funding.
What losing SEVP access could mean.
Educational institutions must have SEVP certification with ICE to admit applicants holding F-1 or M-1 student visas. This certification does not directly impact Harvard’s exchange students in the J-1 visa program, which is administered separately by the State Department.
Approximately 15,000 educational institutions in the US hold SEVP certification. About 200 institutions lose their certification annually, often due to business closures, according to an ICE fact sheet.
Related article: New lawsuit alleges traffic stops, dismissed cases used as criteria to revoke student visas.
Harvard’s 6,793 international students represent 27.2% of its enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year, according to university data. It remains unclear how many of these students attend Harvard on F-1 visas, which would be directly affected by the loss of SEVP certification.
The Trump administration’s letter requests information on visa holders’ “known threats to other students or university personnel,” “obstruction of the school’s learning environment,” and any disciplinary actions “taken as a result of making threats to other students or populations or participating in protests,” The Crimson reported.
Harvard “will continue to comply with the law and expect the Administration to do the same,” its spokesperson stated on Wednesday. “If federal action is taken against a member of our community, we expect it will be based on clear evidence, follow established legal procedures, and respect the constitutional rights afforded to all individuals.”
