US gives Harvard 30 days to challenge ban on foreign student program

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
29 May 2025 23:23
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Harvard has 30 days to respond to a US government move to revoke its ability to enroll foreign students, as DHS cites non-compliance and campus safety concerns.

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Students cross into Harvard yard passing protesters as Harvard University holds its commencement, Thursday, May 29, 2025 in Cambridge, Mass., US. (AP)

US authorities have given Harvard University 30 days to respond to a federal notice of intent that would revoke its ability to enroll foreign students under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), a move that could severely impact the institution’s international programs.

According to a notice issued by Acting Director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyons, Harvard must submit a formal rebuttal, under oath and supported by documentary evidence, explaining why its SEVP certification should not be withdrawn for the 2025–2026 academic year.

DHS cites non-compliance, campus safety concerns

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its decision to revoke Harvard’s SEVP certification, claiming that the university failed to comply with official information requests. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem further accused the institution of fostering an “unsafe” campus environment that is allegedly hostile to Jewish students.

Failure to respond to the ICE notice within 30 calendar days will result in immediate revocation of Harvard’s certification, barring the university from appealing the decision. The notice also offers Harvard the option of voluntary withdrawal from the program, after which it could reapply for certification with federal assistance.

Legal challenge underway

The enforcement action comes amid an ongoing legal battle. On May 23, a federal judge in Massachusetts granted Harvard’s request to suspend the DHS directive. During a hearing in Boston on Thursday, US District Judge Allison Burroughs confirmed that her injunction remains in effect, temporarily blocking the enforcement of the ban.

The situation reflects escalating tensions between the federal government and educational institutions over student visa policies and campus discourse, particularly surrounding protests calling for divestment from "Israel" and the end of the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Harvard students rally in rejection

Consequently, Harvard University students staged a large protest on Tuesday in Cambridge, Massachusetts, following the US government’s announcement that it plans to cancel all remaining financial contracts with the institution. The decision is part of President Donald Trump's broader education policy campaign, which critics say seeks to exert political control over elite academic institutions.

Hundreds of students gathered to oppose what they see as an aggressive move by Trump against Harvard, with the latest measure alone estimated to be worth $100 million. Demonstrators criticized the administration’s push to pressure the university into accepting oversight of its curriculum, admissions, and research practices.

Placards at the rally included slogans such as “Trump = traitor,” while students chanted in support of their international peers with phrases like, “Who belongs in class today, let them stay.” These chants referred to the uncertainty facing foreign students after the university’s accreditation to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program was revoked by the Trump administration.