Harvard Sues Trump Administration For Barring Enrolment Of Foreign Students

Harvard University on Friday sued the US administration against its decision to revoke its eligibility to enrol international students, in an escalation of the fight between President Donald Trump and the prestigious university.

In a statement, Harvard President Dr Alan M Garber condemned the "unlawful and unwarranted action", and said the Ivy League university has filed a legal petition for a restraint order on the revocation. 

"We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action. It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams," Mr Garber said.

"We have just filed a complaint, and a motion for a temporary restraining order will follow. As we pursue legal remedies, we will do everything in our power to support our students and scholars. The Harvard International Office will provide periodic updates as new information becomes available," he added. 

The move came hours after the Donald Trump administration revoked Harvard's right to enrol foreign nationals, under a federal government scheme called the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). More than 6,000 international students were enrolled at Harvard during the 2024-2025 academic year, representing 27.3% of the student body, the university said.

This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.

It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments… pic.twitter.com/12hJWd1J86

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) May 22, 2025

Last month, Mr Trump had threatened to adopt such a move, if the university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, did not agree to government demands that would put the private institution under outside political supervision. The government said the ban on foreign students can be revoked if the varsity fulfills a series of conditions laid down by Mr Trump within 72 hours.

"The government has claimed that its destructive action is based on Harvard's failure to comply with requests for information from the US Department of Homeland Security. In fact, Harvard did respond to the Department's requests as required by law," Mr Garber said in his statement. 

The Trump administration has for weeks locked horns with Harvard and other higher education institutions over claims that they tolerate anti-Semitism on their campuses - threatening their budgets, tax-exempt status and enrolment of foreign students. 

It is not for the first time Harvard has approached the court against the government. In April, it had challenged the administration's decision to freeze $2.3 billion in funding. Mr Garber said the university "will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights". 

In its lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Massachusetts district on Friday, Harvard University said it had received the certification to enrol foreign students under the F-1 visa - non-immigrant visa in the US that allows international students to enter the country for the purpose of pursuing academic studies - program for more than 70 years.

"Yesterday, the government abruptly revoked that certification without process or cause, to immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders. This revocation is a blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act," it said.

The American university said the revocation was "the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government's demands to control Harvard's governance, curriculum, and the 'ideology' of its faculty and students." 

"With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard's student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission," the varsity said.

Earlier in the day, Harvard said the US government's move is a retaliatory action that threatens "serious harm" to the university.