Harvard University has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s decision to revoke its certification to enroll international students. The university calls the move a politically motivated act of retaliation that threatens the legal status of thousands of students and disrupts the institution’s academic operations.
In a 72-page complaint filed on Friday, May 23rd, in Boston, Harvard accused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of violating the First Amendment and due process protections by stripping the university of its authority to host international students under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The decertification, announced just days before graduation, affects more than 7,000 international students, comprising nearly a quarter of the university’s student body.
Harvard President Alan Garber described the revocation as “unlawful and unwarranted,” warning it would have an “immediate and devastating effect” on the university community. He emphasized that the government’s action jeopardizes the futures of thousands of students and scholars and undermines the United States’ commitment to academic freedom.
The DHS justified its decision by citing allegations that Harvard allowed a hostile campus environment, referencing antisemitic incidents and claims of coordination with the Chinese Communist Party. Officials accused the university of failing to provide sufficient records related to foreign student activity, including disciplinary data and protest participation. Harvard maintains that it responded with two rounds of documentation submitted on April 30th and May 14th and complied with all legal requirements.
In its request for a temporary restraining order, Harvard argued that the administration’s action would cause “immediate and irreparable harm” to the university by forcing students to leave the country and placing the institution at a disadvantage in recruiting future applicants. If the decertification stands, the school could be barred from admitting new visa holders for at least two academic years.
The lawsuit also follows Harvard’s previous legal challenge after the administration froze over $2 billion in federal research funding. In both cases, the university contends it is being penalized for refusing to implement politically driven directives, such as ideological audits of faculty and admissions reforms.
Harvard’s legal team includes attorneys with previous ties to the Trump administration, signaling a high-profile legal battle over the intersection of education, immigration, and political influence.
