Trump Bars Harvard from Hosting International Students: An Unprecedented Legal and Political Showdown

On May 22, President Donald Trump banned Harvard University from admitting international students, citing concerns about antisemitism on campus—a move the prestigious institution immediately challenged in court. This decision strips Harvard of a significant portion of its international student body, which makes up nearly a quarter of its enrollment, and threatens one of the world’s most renowned universities.

An Unprecedented Legal Battle

The following day, Harvard filed a lawsuit in the federal court of Massachusetts, denouncing what it calls a political retaliation aimed at undermining its autonomy and controlling its ideological direction. Founded 400 years ago in Cambridge near Boston, Harvard is a leading institution with 24,500 students, 27% of whom are international. It hosts 100 research centers worldwide and boasts 162 Nobel laureates and several U.S. presidents among its alumni.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem justified the ban by citing the need to combat “violence, antisemitism, and alleged coordination with the Chinese Communist Party,” accusing Harvard of failing to adequately supervise its international students. She imposed a 72-hour deadline for the university to provide information on possible illegal activities, threatening to maintain the suspension of Harvard’s SEVIS certification, which is essential for admitting international students.

A Major Blow to U.S. Higher Education and Research

Harvard condemned these actions as “illegal and unjustified,” warning of severe consequences for thousands of students and American research. The university heavily depends on federal funding, which has already been cut by $2.7 billion, endangering critical projects in cancer research, neurodegenerative diseases, and chemistry.

This confrontation is part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration targeting major U.S. universities accused of tolerating antisemitism and failing to protect Jewish students, especially amid tensions linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For Harvard, this dispute threatens not only its global influence but also the United States’ position as a world leader in innovation and research.