Trump's Crackdown On Harvard Will Affect Indian Students

The administration of US President Donald Trump has revoked Harvard University’s authority to enrol international students under the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), a scheme that allows designated institutions to admit foreign students and issue visa-related documentation.

The decision, announced on Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), jeopardises the academic future of nearly 6,800 international students at Harvard, including about 800 from India. According to university records, around 500–800 Indian students and scholars enrol each year across Harvard’s schools and departments. With the revocation, these students must transfer to another SEVP-certified institution to remain legally in the United States. Failure to do so could lead to visa cancellation and deportation.

Many of the affected students are pursuing multi-year graduate and doctoral programmes, and transferring midway could severely disrupt their research and academic progress.

Reason for the Action

In a letter to Harvard, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused the university of failing to provide information on foreign students, including disciplinary records and audiovisual material related to recent campus protests. Some of these demonstrations allegedly involved pro-Hamas sentiment and criticism of Israel.

Noem also attacked Harvard’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, describing them as “racist” and “hostile to Jewish students.” She further alleged links between the university and the Chinese Communist Party.

“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the CCP on its campus,” Noem posted on X.

The DHS has given Harvard 72 hours to comply with the demands and provide the requested documents if it wishes to have its SEVP status restored.

Legal Context

The DHS has jurisdiction over student visas under US law. Without SEVP certification, Harvard cannot legally host international students.

Although some institutions have previously lost SEVP status, such cases usually involved serious administrative lapses, such as loss of accreditation, insufficient faculty, or institutional closure. Experts say the move against Harvard is unprecedented, raising concerns about the use of immigration policy as a tool of political enforcement.