Harvard has sued the Trump administration over its unlawful and unwarranted decision to revoke the university's certification to enrol foreign students, asserting that without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.
Harvard University filed an over 70-page lawsuit in the US district court for the district of Massachusetts Friday against the Trump administration, including Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and State Department as well as against the agencies' leaders, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
For more than 70 years, Harvard University has been certified by the federal government to enrol international students under the F-1 visa program, and it has long been designated as an exchange program sponsor to host J-1 non-immigrants, the university said in the lawsuit.
Harvard has, over this time, developed programmes and degrees tailored to its international students, invested millions to recruit the most talented such students, and integrated its international students into all aspects of the Harvard community, it said.
On Thursday, the government abruptly revoked that certification without process or cause, to immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders, Harvard said.
Harvard said the lawsuit that 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.
It noted that Harvard's certification is essential for each of Harvard's thousands of international students to lawfully remain in the US while they complete coursework, obtain degrees, and continue critical research.
Effective immediately, most of Harvard's thousands of enrolled F-1 and J-1 visa students (and their more than 300 dependents) will have little choice but to secure transfer to another school or risk being rendered without lawful status in the United States. Effective immediately, Harvard can no longer sponsor F-1 and J-1 visa holders for its upcoming summer and fall terms, despite having admitted thousands.
"Effective immediately, countless academic programs, research laboratories, clinics, and courses supported by Harvard's international students have been thrown into disarray. The government's actions come just days before graduation. Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard," Harvard said.
Harvard's lawsuit came a day after the Trump administration, in an unprecedented development, ordered the Department of Homeland Security to terminate Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification.
This means Harvard can no longer enrol foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status, the federal agency said.
Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said in a letter to Harvard that the revocation of Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification means that Harvard is prohibited from having persons on F or J non-immigrant visa status for the 2025-26 academic school year.
This decertification also means that existing aliens on F or J non-immigrant status must transfer to another university in order to maintain the non-immigrant status, she said.
The F-1 Visa (Academic Student) allows individuals to enter the United States as a full-time student at an accredited college, university, academic high school or other academic institution. J visas are non-immigrant visas for individuals approved to participate in exchange visitor programmes in the United States.
According to statistics on the website of Harvard International Office, there are 788 students and scholars from India at all schools under Harvard University for the 2024-25 academic year.
The Harvard Global Support Services said on its website that each year, anywhere from 500-800 Indian students and scholars study at Harvard.
Harvard hosts a total of about 10,158 students and scholars from around the world across its schools, according to Harvard International Office estimates.
Harvard president Alan Garber said in a statement that the revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence and to submit to the federal government's illegal assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body.
Garber added that Harvard condemns this unlawful and unwarranted action that 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 fulfil their dreams.
"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," he said.
Garber rejected claims by the government that its destructive action is based on Harvard's failure to comply with requests for information from the US Department of Homeland Security, asserting that Harvard did respond to the Department's requests as required by law.
For those international students and scholars affected by yesterday's action, know that you are vital members of our community. You are our classmates and friends, our colleagues and mentors, our partners in the work of this great institution. Thanks to you, we know more and understand more, and our country and our world are more enlightened and more resilient. We will support you as we do our utmost to ensure that Harvard remains open to the world, Garber said.
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