The Trump administration’s attempt to revoke Harvard University’s Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, which allows it to enroll international students, has created a significant crisis at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), where 59% of the student body in 2024 were international students on visas.
Announced on May 22, 2025, by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the revocation would prevent Harvard from enrolling new international students for the 2025-2026 academic year and require current international students to transfer to other institutions or lose their nonimmigrant visa status.
This move, described as a response to Harvard’s alleged failure to comply with reporting requirements and accusations of fostering antisemitism and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party, could eliminate nearly 60% of HKS’s student body, threatening its identity as a global hub for public policy scholarship.
Harvard swiftly filed a lawsuit on May 23, 2025, calling the action “unlawful” and a “retaliatory” violation of its First Amendment rights and academic freedom. A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order within hours, blocking the revocation pending further legal proceedings, with a hearing scheduled to determine if the order should be extended.
HKS Dean Jeremy M. Weinstein condemned the move, emphasizing the critical role international students play in enriching the school’s learning environment and research impact. Faculty and students, including HKS professor Tarek Masoud and student body president Abdullah Shahid Sial from Pakistan, expressed fears that the policy would deter global talent and undermine the school’s mission.
The broader conflict stems from escalating tensions, with the Trump administration cutting over $2.6 billion in federal funding to Harvard and demanding changes to its admissions, hiring, and diversity policies, which Harvard has resisted as an infringement on its autonomy.