Harvard University sued the Trump administration over its plan to block the institution from enrolling international students.
The lawsuit came less than a day after the Department of Homeland Security said it would block international students from enrolling at Harvard, the nation’s oldest university and one of the most prestigious in the world.
“We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action,” Dr. Alan Garber, president of Harvard, said in a letter. “It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams.”
The administration has said Harvard has not complied with a list of demands sent on April 16 related to student protests and instances of antisemitism over the last five years. The government also alleged infiltration by the Chinese Communist Party.
DHS said it revoked Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, which effectively halted the school’s ability to enroll international students. Republicans on the House Select Committee on China and the House Committee on Education and Workforce additionally opened an investigation into alleged ties the university has to the Chinese Communist Party and Iran.
The lawsuit from Harvard said the Trump administration was in “blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act.”
“It is the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government’s demands to control Harvard’s governance, curriculum, and the “ideology” of its faculty and students,” the lawsuit said.
It also said the university was working to comply with the requests, and a letter from the administration criticized the university for its failure to condemn antisemitism.
The lawsuit highlighted the “unprecedented nature and scope” of the demands for information on each student visa holder, which amounts to about 6,800 students across Harvard’s 13 schools, which amounts to about 27% of its student body.
“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,” the lawsuit said.
“Yet on May 22, DHS deemed Harvard’s response ‘insufficient,’ without explaining why or citing any regulation with which Harvard failed to comply,” the lawsuit added.
International students at Harvard came from 146 countries as of September 2024. These students were mostly from China, Canada and India, as these three countries collectively account for 40% of the international cohort of students.
Most international students at Harvard pay full tuition, which is $59,320 for the 2024-25 academic year. Room and Board on campus and other mandatory fees amount to an additional $27,606 per student. The total for an international student to attend Harvard is $86,926 per year.
How much Harvard makes from international students is not publicly disclosed. If, however, all 6,800 foreign students are paying full tuition fees and extras, it would add up to just over $591 million in annual revenues for the university.
The broader academic community was shocked at the move by the Trump administration to take away Harvard’s ability to enroll international students. In a statement, Sally Kornbluth, president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, called it a “grave moment.”
“I write to you in profound disbelief,” she wrote in a community email late Thursday. “The action the federal government took today to bar Harvard from having international students is devastating for American excellence, openness, and ingenuity.”
Harvard’s lawsuit named Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, among others.
JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM RESCINDING FOREIGN STUDENTS’ LEGAL STATUS
The university indicated that it would also file a request for a temporary restraining order and ask a judge to block the implementation of DHS’s action immediately.
Trump has made nearly a dozen threats against Harvard, including threatening to remove its tax-exempt status, cut funding, and bar it from receiving federal research grants.
