Harvard University has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration after being barred from enrolling international students, marking its second legal challenge in a month against what it describes as politically motivated retaliation.
The move follows an announcement by US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who said on Thursday that Harvard had lost the privilege to host foreign students, citing non-compliance with federal laws and “repeated failure” to enact reforms demanded by the government.
In a sharply worded letter to the Harvard community, University President Alan Garber denounced the revocation as “unlawful and unwarranted,” accusing the Trump administration of undermining academic freedom and targeting the institution for its refusal to “surrender our academic independence.”
“The revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard,” Garber wrote. “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.”
Harvard confirmed that it had already filed a formal complaint in court and would soon seek a temporary restraining order to block the enforcement of the ban. “We will do everything in our power to support our students and scholars,” Garber added.
Secretary Noem, announcing the ban, warned other institutions that “enrolling international students is a privilege — not a right — and that privilege has been revoked.” In addition to halting new enrollments, current international students at Harvard must transfer or face deportation, she said.
The latest clash is rooted in an escalating feud between the Ivy League university and the Trump administration, which has accused Harvard of harbouring antisemitism and promoting race-based admissions under the guise of diversity initiatives.
In April, the administration demanded that Harvard undertake sweeping governance and policy reforms, including dismantling its diversity programmes and altering its admissions and hiring practices. Harvard rejected the demands outright on April 14.
Shortly after the university’s defiance, the administration froze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in federal contracts, prompting Harvard to sue, calling the funding halt “unlawful and beyond the government’s authority.”
Further tensions arose when Homeland Security issued an ultimatum on April 16, instructing Harvard to provide data on alleged illegal or violent activities by international students by the end of the month. Harvard did not comply.
According to the university’s fall 2023 figures, international students represent over 27% of the total student body, making the new enrolment ban a significant blow to its academic and cultural makeup.
Legal experts anticipate a heated courtroom battle, as the case may set precedent on the federal government’s control over university policies, student rights, and academic freedom.
