citing an alleged “failure to adhere to the law” and “perpetuating an unsafe...hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies

US Revokes Harvard’s Foreign Student Program Certification, latest news: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under the Trump administration, has revoked Harvard University's certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), effective immediately, citing an alleged “failure to adhere to the law” and “perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies.”

The decision bars Harvard from hosting international students on F-1 or J-1 visas for the 2025–2026 academic year.

“I am writing to inform you that effective immediately, Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification is revoked,” a letter to Harvard University by U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) read.

Sharing the decision in a post on X, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem wrote, “This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.”

In clear terms, it stated that enrolling foreign students at Harvard University is a “privilege, not a right.”

“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments.”

In strong terms, the post stated, “Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.”

Key reasons cited include:

• Harvard’s failure to provide requested information about foreign students.

• The university’s alleged creation of an unsafe and hostile campus environment, particularly toward Jewish students.

• The promotion of pro-Hamas sympathies and the use of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) policies, which have been labeled as racist.

Harvard’s previous responses to DHS requests were deemed insufficient, and existing international students at Harvard must now transfer to maintain legal visa status.

The letter in a strong statement states that this revocation serves as a warning to all universities about strict enforcement against anti-Americanism and antisemitism.

“If Harvard would like the opportunity of regaining Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification before the upcoming academic school year, you must provide all of the information requested below within 72 hours,” the letter read, sharing a 6-point list—directing the university to provide information about: records of audio, video footage regarding illegal activity, regarding dangerous or violent activity, regarding threats to other students or university personnel, regarding deprivation of rights of other classmates or university personnel—whether on or off campus, by a non-immigrant student enrolled in Harvard University in the last five years.

The university is also instructed to provide“Any and all disciplinary records of all non-immigrant students enrolled in Harvard University in the last five years” and “of any protest activity involving a non-immigrant student on a Harvard University campus in the last five years.”

The letter warns that false or incomplete responses may lead to criminal prosecution and could affect Harvard's ability to regain certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.

“Please be advised that providing materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent information may subject you to criminal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 1001. Other criminal and civil sanctions may also apply.”

The announcement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under the Trump administration, comes in the wake of an incident on Wednesday near the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., where two employees of the Israeli Embassy were shot dead.

U.S. President Donald Trump condemned the killings of the two Israeli Embassy employees as “horrible” and said, “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on anti-Semitism, must end, NOW!”

“Hatred and radicalism have no place in the USA,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, expressing condolences to the families of the two employees who were shot dead.

A 30-year-old man, identified as Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, was arrested by authorities, NDTV reported. According to the report, which cited witnesses, the suspect shouted “Free, Free Palestine” as he was taken into custody. Israeli officials have described the act as “a depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.”

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the deaths of the two Israeli Embassy staff members in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice.”

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