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Washington D.C, VIVA – The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has revoked Harvard University's authorization to accept international students.
The controversial Trump policy highlights the ongoing debate over Ivy League autonomy.
Under this policy, thousands of foreign students must now either transfer to another school or leave the country.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the policy on Thursday.
The reason cited was that Harvard was allegedly creating an unsafe campus environment by allowing anti-American and pro-terrorist "agitators" to intimidate Jewish students on campus.
The DHS also accused Harvard of coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party, claiming the university had recently hosted and trained members of a new Chinese paramilitary group in 2024.
Ilustrasi mahasiswa Harvard University
“This means Harvard can no longer accept international students. And the international students currently enrolled must either transfer or lose their legal status,” the DHS said as quoted by AP on Friday (May 23).
Harvard currently enrolls nearly 6,800 international students at its Cambridge, Massachusetts campus.
That figure accounts for more than a quarter of its total student population.
Most of these international students are graduate students from over 100 countries.
Harvard has responded to the Trump administration's decision, calling it unlawful. In a statement, the university said it would continue to support and guide its students.
“This retaliatory action poses serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” the university said in an official statement.
The controversy began with a request from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who sent a letter to Harvard demanding data on international students involved in violence or protests.
In her letter, Noem said the sanctions were imposed because the university failed to comply with basic reporting requirements.
As a result, the Trump administration has barred Harvard from accepting international students for the 2025–2026 academic year.
However, Noem mentioned a condition under which Harvard could regain its ability to admit foreign students.
The condition requires Harvard to submit detailed records within 72 hours.
This includes all data, including audio or video recordings, of international students participating in protests or dangerous activities on campus.
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“This means Harvard can no longer accept international students. And the international students currently enrolled must either transfer or lose their legal status,” the DHS said as quoted by AP on Friday (May 23).
