DE News Desk :
Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration following a controversial move by the Department of Homeland Security to revoke the university’s ability to enroll foreign students, a decision that threatens the academic future of thousands.
The legal action, filed Friday in a Massachusetts federal court, marks an escalation in the ongoing standoff between the Ivy League institution and former President Donald Trump’s administration, which has accused Harvard of promoting “anti-Semitism” and “woke liberal ideology” while resisting federal oversight.
On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the revocation, citing concerns over campus safety, ideological bias, and alleged links with the Chinese Communist Party — accusations Harvard firmly denies.
In response, Harvard called the move a “retaliatory act” in violation of its constitutional rights. “This is the latest attempt by the government to punish Harvard for exercising its First Amendment rights and resisting federal intrusion into its governance and academic freedom,” the university stated in its lawsuit.
Harvard President Alan Garber condemned the decision as “unlawful and unwarranted,” warning that it jeopardizes the futures of thousands of international students and scholars. “It also sends a chilling message to universities across the country that welcoming global talent may come at a cost,” he said.
Foreign students make up more than 25% of Harvard’s student body. Their departure could have significant academic and financial consequences for the university, which relies heavily on tuition and research contributions from international scholars.
The Trump administration has already frozen $2.2 billion in federal research grants and $60 million in active contracts with Harvard, and has hinted at reviewing an additional $9 billion in public funding.
Critics within Harvard’s academic community described the administration’s actions as “authoritarian” and a direct attack on academic independence. The Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors issued a statement condemning the ban as “a politically motivated act of retaliation against the nation’s oldest institution of higher education.”
Meanwhile, international backlash has begun. China, whose students represent over 20% of Harvard’s international enrollees, criticized the decision. “Politicizing educational cooperation only damages America’s global reputation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday.
The situation has also rattled current students. Karl Molden, a 21-year-old Austrian student studying government and classics, said he is now applying to transfer to Oxford. “Being at Harvard was the greatest privilege of my life. This makes me feel unwelcome and unsure of my future,” he told AFP.
Harvard has indicated it will seek an immediate temporary restraining order to block the administration’s decision while the case proceeds in court.