Harvard sues Trump administration for blocking it from enrolling international students

It also pointed the revocation had an “immediate and devastating effect” on the university and more than 7,000 visa holders.

The move came just hours after the Trump administration revoked Harvard’s authorisation to enroll foreign students under the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

The administration’s severe escalation in its weeks-long showdown with Harvard would force more than 6,000 international students currently enrolled there to transfer to other universities or lose their legal status, as per the Department of Homeland Security.

Last month, Trump had threatened to implement such a ban if the university, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, failed to comply with demands that would subject the private institution to external political oversight. The administration said the ban could be reversed if Harvard met a series of conditions within 72 hours.

The Trump administration has been at odds with higher education institutions in recent weeks, accusing them of tolerating anti-Semitism on campus — a charge that has led to threats targeting university budgets, tax-exempt status, and foreign student enrolments.

This isn’t Harvard’s first legal challenge to the Trump administration. In April, the university contested the government’s decision to freeze $2.3 billion in funding.  In the lawsuit filed Friday, Harvard argued that it had held certification to enrol international students under the F-1 visa programme for over 70 years.

“Yesterday, the government abruptly revoked that certification without process or cause, to immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders. This revocation is a blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act,” the university said.

“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,” it said.

Earlier in the day, Harvard labelled the government’s decision a retaliatory move that threatens “serious harm” to the university.

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