The Trump administration has dealt a severe blow to Harvard University by revoking its accreditation under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), effectively banning the university from admitting or educating foreign students in the 2025–2026 academic year, Deutsche Welle (DW) reports.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused Harvard of fostering an “unsafe environment” and failing to cooperate with investigations into antisemitism and alleged ties to foreign governments. This move affects roughly 6,800 international students currently enrolled at Harvard, forcing them to transfer to other institutions to maintain their legal status in the U.S. Otherwise, they face potential deportation.
Reuters reports that the department said in a statement that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the department to terminate Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification effective for the 2025-2026 school year.
Noem reportedly accused the university of "fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party."
The move came after Harvard refused to provide information that Noem demanded about some foreign student visa holders at Harvard, the department said, according to Reuters.
Reuters reports that in 2022, Chinese nationals were the biggest group of foreign students at 1,016, university figures showed. After that were students from Canada, India, South Korea, Britain, Germany, Australia, Singapore and Japan.
Harvard condemned the administration’s actions as illegal and harmful to its academic mission and international community. The university has previously faced government pressure, including threats to revoke its tax-exempt status and freeze US$2.2 billion in federal funding.
In response, Harvard filed a lawsuit claiming these measures violate student rights and academic freedom. A federal court has temporarily blocked the government’s attempt to revoke foreign students’ legal status, citing the risk of harm and procedural violations.
Harvard reports that nearly 7,000 international students from 140 countries currently study at the university—making up over a quarter of the student population. The sudden policy change has left many students uncertain about their ability to complete their studies or return to campus for their final courses.
Kazakh media report that seven Kazakh nationals are currently studying at Harvard under the “Bolashak” scholarship program.
It remains unclear whether Tajik students are presently enrolled.
