In one of the most controversial decisions during the Trump presidency, The US government has threatened to ban Harvard University from enrolling foreign students - after the institution said it would not bow to demands from President Donald Trump's administration and was hit with a funding freeze.
The White House has demanded the oldest university in the US make changes to hiring, admissions and teaching practices - to help fight antisemitism on campus.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has asked for records on what she called the "illegal and violent" activities of its foreign student visa-holders.
The new policy, introduced by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stated that students holding F-1 (academic) or M-1 (vocational) visas could not remain in the United States if their schools transitioned to fully online instruction. As universities like Harvard had already announced that all classes would be held virtually for the fall semester in an effort to protect the health and safety of students and staff, the policy effectively targeted and endangered the legal status of foreign students.
This announcement triggered an immediate and intense backlash from academic institutions, legal experts, international students, and human rights advocates across the country and around the world. Harvard University, in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE, arguing that the policy was arbitrary, capricious, and deeply harmful. The lawsuit contended that the administration’s directive forced schools into an impossible situation: either conduct in-person classes amid a global health crisis or risk losing their international student populations — many of whom contribute significantly to the academic and financial vitality of the institutions.
The Trump administration's move was widely criticized as politically motivated. Many viewed it as an attempt to pressure universities into reopening campuses to align with the administration’s broader push to reopen the economy, despite growing concerns about COVID-19 infections surging in various parts of the country. International students, who had already been dealing with uncertainty, travel restrictions, and health risks, were left in limbo — unsure of their futures, unable to plan their education, and in many cases, unable to return home due to lockdowns and closed borders.
Furthermore, the policy threatened to significantly damage the U.S.’s global reputation as a destination for higher education. Foreign students contribute billions of dollars annually to the U.S. economy and enrich the academic environment through cultural and intellectual diversity. The decision also risked long-term damage to research programs, innovation, and the global competitiveness of U.S. universities.
Following widespread public criticism, protests, and mounting legal pressure, including support from hundreds of institutions of higher learning and powerful tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, the Trump administration abruptly rescinded the policy just one week after its announcement. This reversal was viewed as a major victory for international students, higher education, and public health advocates.
The episode remains one of the most dramatic confrontations between the Trump administration and the academic world, and it highlighted the tensions between public health considerations and immigration enforcement. It also underscored the critical role international students play in American higher education and the strong resistance from institutions like Harvard in defending their right to make decisions in the best interest of their students and faculty.