The Trump administration has stopped Harvard University from enrolling international students for now. This decision is part of an ongoing investigation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent a letter to Harvard explaining the move. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she said the government is holding Harvard responsible for allowing violence, antisemitism, and working with the Chinese Communist Party on campus.

She also said admitting international students is a “privilege, not a right.” According to her, the high fees foreign students pay help increase the university’s already large endowment.The Trump administration's decision means that international students currently studying at Harvard may have to transfer to other schools or risk losing their legal status in the U.S., according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Harvard University strongly opposed the move, calling it a political punishment that could seriously harm the university. In a statement, Harvard said, “This action by the government is illegal. We are fully committed to supporting our international students and scholars, who come from over 140 countries and greatly enrich both the university and the nation.”

In April, President Trump criticized Harvard, calling it a “joke” and saying it should lose its government research contracts because the university refused to accept outside political control.On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that Harvard is no longer “a decent place of learning” and should not be ranked among the world’s top universities. He also threatened to stop the university from enrolling foreign students unless it followed his demands.

According to Harvard’s data, about 6,800 international students were enrolled for the 2024–2025 academic year, making up 27% of the total student population. The university’s website says that between 500 and 800 Indian students and scholars study at Harvard each year. Currently, there are 788 Indian students enrolled.