Harvard University filed suit in federal court on Friday against the Trump administration, challenging a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decision to revoke the university’s ability to enroll international students. In its complaint, the institution asserts the government’s move is unlawful and constitutes “clear retaliation” for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights.
The lawsuit seeks an immediate block on the order from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, which was announced Thursday.
Secretary Noem cited Harvard’s “persistent failure to address a ‘toxic campus climate'” as the reason for immediately terminating the university’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification.
This action, if upheld, would prevent Harvard from enrolling new international students. Currently enrolled foreign students would be forced to transfer to other SEVP-certified institutions or risk losing their legal status in the United States.
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“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,” reads a copy of the complaint provided by Harvard.
Secretary Noem defended the department’s action. “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,” she stated Thursday. “Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.”
According to DHS, the decision followed Harvard’s alleged refusal to comply with an April 16, 2025, order from Secretary Noem demanding information about criminality and misconduct involving foreign students on its campus. A follow-up request from the DHS Office of General Counsel was also reportedly ignored. This move follows a DHS decision last month to cut $2.7 million in grants to the university.
RELATED: DHS Revokes Harvard’s Ability To Enroll Foreign Students, Cites Alleged CCP Ties
In its announcement, DHS detailed a range of concerns that contributed to the SEVP termination:
- Pervasive Discrimination and Antisemitism: DHS cited a joint-government task force finding that Harvard failed to confront widespread race discrimination and anti-Semitic harassment. The department also pointed to Harvard’s own 2025 internal study, which reportedly found that nearly 60% of Jewish students experienced “discrimination, stereotyping, or negative bias on campus due to [their] views on current events.” Specific incidents mentioned by DHS include Jewish students allegedly being subjected to insults and physical assault without meaningful university response, and pro-Hamas student groups that allegedly promoted antisemitism reportedly remaining recognized and funded.
- Skyrocketing Crime Rates: DHS noted a reported 55% increase in overall crime rates at Harvard from 2022 to 2023, with aggravated assaults allegedly rising by 295% and robberies by 560% during the same period.
- Ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP): The DHS statement accused Harvard of facilitating activity with the CCP, including allegations of hosting and training members of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), a CCP paramilitary group sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2020. Further accusations include Harvard researchers collaborating with China-based academics on projects allegedly funded by an Iranian government agent and partnering with Chinese universities tied to military advancements using U.S. Department of Defense funds.
- Questionable Financial Practices: DHS raised concerns over Harvard receiving $151 million from foreign governments since January 2020, and what it termed “race-conscious hiring policies, potentially in violation of civil rights law.”
The termination of Harvard’s SEVP certification represents a significant escalation in federal scrutiny of universities and their handling of campus issues and foreign affiliations. The outcome of the legal challenge will be closely watched by academic institutions across the nation.
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