SEVIS: Harvard loses certification in new Trump attack.
Trump revokes Harvard's SEVIS; thousands of international students will have to transfer or lose their legal status.

Photo by Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard University
The Donald Trump administration has ordered Harvard University to lose its SEVIS certification, eliminating its ability to enroll international students. Students already enrolled at Harvard must transfer to another institution or lose their legal protections. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced this news in your account X:
“I am writing to inform you that, effective immediately, Harvard University’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program is being revoked.”
The Student and Exchange Visitor Visa (SEVIS) Program governs the legal stay of international students in the United States. It connects university institutions with the country's immigration authorities. Secretary Noem also shared Harvard's desertion letter on her social media account. X, which says:
“The revocation of its certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program means that Harvard is prohibited from enrolling foreign nationals with 'F' or 'J' immigration status during the 2025-2026 academic year. This decertification also means that foreign nationals who currently hold 'F' or 'J' nonimmigrant status will be required to transfer to another university to maintain that status.”
This action affects the 6,793 international students enrolled at Harvard University in the 2024-2025 academic year.
Donald Trump vs Harvard University
The Donald Trump administration has had several legal disputes with Harvard University throughout this year. On April 14, Harvard lost $2.2 billion in federal funding due to refuse to cooperate with certain measures demanded by the Trump administration. These measures required Harvard to end its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, adopt merit-based admissions, and cooperate with immigration authorities.
The university clashed with the administration again on April 30, when the administration demanded that Harvard provide a list of its international students' illegal and violent activities. In this confrontation, Secretary Noem accused the university of creating a hostile and anti-Semitic environment.
In this case, Harvard University refusal to cooperate with the government once again. A university representative said: “Harvard will not surrender its independence or waive its constitutional rights.”
Desertification of SEVIS
The conflict between Harvard University and the Trump administration has led to the institution losing its SEVIS certification. This is an unprecedented action: although the Department of Homeland Security has revoked SEVIS certification from various institutions in the past, none has come close to the importance and prestige of Harvard. The university declared this development "illegal" and shared the following message through its representatives:
“We are committed to preserving Harvard’s ability to welcome our international students and scholars, who come from more than 140 countries and greatly enrich both the university and this country.”
Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Founded in 1636, Harvard is considered one of the world's finest universities, producing thousands of outstanding professionals in various academic fields. Several of these alumni were international students, who demonstrated the merit and discipline necessary to be accepted to the institution.
Thousands of international students are anxiously awaiting Harvard's response to this action. These students face the possibility of having to abandon their studies at the university of their dreams, and even having to leave the country.
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