An unprecedented scene is unfolding in the history of higher education in the U.S. On May 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an executive order announcing the revocation of Harvard University’s international student enrollment status, prohibiting it from accepting any new international students in the future, and requiring that all currently enrolled international students complete the transfer process within a specified period or face the loss of their legal status and the forced The decision shocked the academic community and triggered a global debate. The decision shocked the academic community, attracted global attention, and quickly became the focus of international media coverage.
Harvard’s international students fall off the “status cliff”
According to an emergency notice issued by the Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), Harvard University is no longer eligible to legally issue I-20s to international students, the document required to apply for F-1 student visas, a mechanism for which SEVP accreditation is central. This revocation means that Harvard has lost its basic qualification to recruit and maintain international students in the U.S. legally.
The notice reads, “All currently enrolled international students must complete the transfer process to another U.S. college or university with SEVP accreditation and update their I-20 within 15 days or their F-1 visa status will be deemed invalid.” The news rocked the Harvard campus like a bombshell. There are about 6,800 international students currently enrolled at the school, accounting for nearly a quarter of the university’s total student body.
Many students took to social media platforms to express shock, anger, and confusion. A master’s student from India wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “I’m in my second year of a master’s degree in AI at Harvard, and my thesis has just reached a critical stage, when I was suddenly asked to transfer or leave the country. I can hardly believe this is reality.”
Official reasons disputed or related to political affiliation
While the Department of Homeland Security claimed that the revocation of accreditation was due to “untimely data filings and the university’s refusal to cooperate with the investigation,” many observers have pointed out that there may be a deeper political agenda behind it. In recent months, tensions have arisen between the U.S. government and several elite colleges and universities, including Harvard, centering on the handling of campus protests, scrutiny of collaborations with Chinese scholars, and control over the use of federal funds. In particular, the tension escalated after Harvard refused to provide federal agencies with full video recordings of some of its students’ participation in anti-war demonstrations. It is widely recognized in Washington political circles that this ban is not a single technical decision, but rather a combination of “political pressure” and “institutional discipline”. The Hill commented: “This is the Biden administration issuing a clear warning to the higher education system, which does not cooperate, that will have to bear the cost.”
Harvard University strongly opposed: consider legal action
In the face of the ban, Harvard University President Alan M. Garber held an emergency press conference later that evening, publicly stating that he “strongly opposes and condemns this decision” and that the university is contacting a team of lawyers to consider filing a federal lawsuit. According to President Garber, “This is a gross interference with academic freedom and the internationalization of higher education. Our international students are not only part of Harvard, but they are also important contributors to American society. Deporting them will only undermine America’s own scientific and cultural foundations.” At the same time, Garber shouted out to the affected students, “Harvard will not abandon you. We will fight for your right to remain on campus and complete your education in every legal way.”
International students caught in a dilemma
In the 48 hours after the ban was announced, a large number of Harvard international students initiated transfer applications to outside colleges and universities, and some are also consulting study pathways in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Some U.S. colleges and universities, such as Columbia University and the University of Chicago, have opened a temporary “emergency admission mechanism” for Harvard international students to prevent the loss of legal status due to visa cut-offs.
However, most students say it is difficult to complete the complicated procedures, such as transfer, accommodation, finance, and course matching, in a short period. One Chinese doctoral student said, “My academic direction is cold, and other schools simply don’t have the relevant professors or labs, so I may be forced to give up my entire doctoral program.” And on a broader level, the move poses a serious challenge to the international appeal of U.S. colleges and universities. The National Association of Colleges and Universities (ACE) has issued a joint statement saying that the measure will “seriously damage the credibility of the United States as the world’s first choice for higher education” and calling on the Biden administration to withdraw the order as soon as possible and restore stability to the policy.
Legal opinion: flawed process, may be overturned
Legal experts say that while the federal government has the power to revoke SEVP certification, the process in this case was so rushed and lacked transparency that it could easily be found to have “violated due process principles” in court. Lucy Chen, an immigration law expert at Columbia Law School, said, “If Harvard files a federal lawsuit, there’s a good chance it will be able to get a temporary injunction, or at least a transition period of legal status for the students.” In addition, divisive voices have been heard within the Biden administration. According to unnamed White House officials, the president himself did not personally approve the operation, or the Department of Homeland Security, for independent law enforcement, and may subsequently review whether to retract it as appropriate.
The international community responded
The Chinese Embassy in the U.S., the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, and the European Union Delegation to the U.S. have all expressed “serious concerns” to the U.S. Department of State on this matter. Canada’s Immigration Department has said it is making policy preparations for a possible mass “brain drain. Harvard’s partner universities around the world – Oxford, Tsinghua University, and the University of Tokyo – have also spoken out in favor of protecting the rights of international students. Scholars in many countries have warned that if such incidents occur too often, America’s global educational influence will be irreversibly weakened.
Conclusion
The “administrative storm” at Harvard University is not only a challenge to one school, but also to the foundation of the American higher education system – openness, inclusiveness, and internationalization. In today’s increasingly active global mobility of talent, placing international students in the vortex of the policy game may bring consequences far beyond the momentary gains and losses. Whether Harvard can recover from this storm, and whether the United States can still retain the status of “global education lighthouse”, the answer is still in the future.
