Trump Targets Harvard: Future of 788 Indian Students in Limbo

The standoff between the Trump administration and Harvard University has escalated, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoking the university’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The move bars the Ivy League institution from enrolling new international students, casting uncertainty over the future of hundreds of Indian scholars.

The decision follows Harvard’s refusal to comply with federal demands to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and to vet international students for ideological concerns. The university’s stance triggered a fierce response from Washington, with the Trump administration freezing $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard and even threatening to classify the institution as a "political entity" for taxation purposes.

The revocation affects the legal status of approximately 6,800 international students at Harvard, including 788 from India. However, the Class of 2025 can breathe a sigh of relief as they will be permitted to graduate. Those who have not yet completed their degrees have to transfer to other institutions to maintain their visa status.

Announcing the decision on X (formerly Twitter), DHS Secretary Kristi Noem referred to international students as “aliens” and cited national security concerns.

“The revocation of your Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification means that Harvard is prohibited from having any aliens on F- or J- nonimmigrant status for the 2025–2026 academic school year,” the statement read. “This decertification also means that existing aliens on F- or J- nonimmigrant status must transfer to another university in order to maintain their nonimmigrant status.”

The DHS has given Harvard 72 hours to provide ‘information required’ if it wishes to regain certification before the upcoming academic year.

In a sharply worded X post, Noem wrote, “It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enrol foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments.”

The U.S. government has accused Harvard of fostering antisemitism, enabling violence, and maintaining ties with the Chinese Communist Party.

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