US Government Bans Harvard from Accepting Foreign Students

WASHINGTON DC, FRIDAY - The United States government has revoked Harvard University's permit to accept foreign students. They have also threatened the same action against other higher education institutions.

The decision was announced in Washington DC by US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on Thursday (22/5/2025) afternoon local time or Friday (23/5/2025) morning Indonesia time. "Harvard must cancel the foreign student and exchange student programs for the 2025/2026 academic year," she stated.

According to Noem, Harvard supports acts of violence, is antisemitic, and collaborates with the Communist Party of China. Harvard has 6,800 international students for the 2024/2025 academic year, which accounts for 27 percent of the total student population.

The majority of foreign students come from China. In addition, they are from Canada, India, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Singapore, and Japan. In total, Harvard accommodates students from 140 countries.

"Having foreign students is not a right of higher education institutions, but rather requires special permission from the government. Submit the student data within the next 72 hours and we will restore this permit," said Noem.

Noem stated that all higher education institutions must be aware of the consequences they face if they support anti-American and anti-Semitic ideas. The Americanism referred to by Noem, according to observers, is the current government's policy of prioritizing the United States above all else.

Harvard refused to provide personal data of foreign students to the government when the Department of Homeland Security conducted an investigation. All campuses in the U.S. were scrutinized over allegations of antisemitism and supporting terrorism due to holding pro-Palestinian protests. Noem requested all records, videos, and photos of student protests over the past five years.

In a written statement, Harvard stated that the government's actions were unlawful. They will sue in court.

"This action threatens not only Harvard University, but academic freedom in our country," Harvard said.

Harvard spokesman Jason Newton told Time magazine that having many foreign students is an intellectual asset for the university. Their presence provides a comprehensive understanding and approach to various scientific and social issues.

"Thanks to foreign students, the contributions of campuses to society and the nation are becoming increasingly diverse. We will do everything to protect the students," said Newton.

The US government has been pressuring Harvard since December 2023. At that time, thousands of students in the US were protesting following the Al-Aqsa Flood attack on October 7, 2023. Hamas from the Gaza Strip, Palestine, attacked Israel and killed 1,200 people. They also kidnapped 251 individuals.

The US government has accused campuses of engaging in antisemitism. The campuses assert that pro-Palestinian demonstrations do not equate to antisemitism. In fact, many students and pro-peace Jewish organizations have joined in protesting against the Israeli military.

At Harvard, Rector Claudine Gay has been deemed unsuccessful in leading the campus. She was asked to resign in August 2024 and was replaced by Alan Gay.

Pressure on campuses has intensified following Donald Trump's inauguration as president in January 2025. In addition to attacking pro-Palestinian ideas, Trump is also opposed to the values of diversity and progressive understanding.

According to Al Jazeera, the government launched a task force to prevent antisemitism in February 2025. There are 10 campuses being investigated as the initial group, namely Columbia, Harvard, John Hopkins, the University of California Los Angeles, George Washington University, New York University, the University of California Berkeley, Northwestern, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Southern California (USC).

Trump then began to halt the flow of funds to various universities. Eight elite colleges known as the Ivy League lost funding ranging from hundreds of millions to billions of US dollars. In total, 60 universities had their funding cut.

The government's actions against Harvard by revoking the permit for the admission of foreign students are seen as an example of a threat to other campuses. Foreign students are forced to transfer to other campuses due to fear of losing their study visas. However, this does not guarantee that their new campuses will not be pressured by the government.

According to a survey by the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of International Education (IIE) in 2024, there are 1.1 million international students in the United States. At the same time, there are 280,000 American students studying abroad. Welcoming international students is one of the indicators of campus quality and international competitiveness.

"The majority of foreign students pay their full tuition fees or receive scholarships from their respective countries. This income is used to subsidize other students who receive tuition assistance," said former Chancellor of the University of Missouri Chuck Ambrose.

USA Today reported that international students at Harvard were in a state of panic. They were shocked and trying to understand the events that had befallen them with disbelief.

"Just yesterday I was happy to be studying. This campus brought me together with friends from all over the world. Now, that value has been taken from us," said Leo Gerden (33), a student from Sweden.

(AP/Reuters)