Harvard has 6,793 international students, making up around 27 per cent of the student body, per its website.
Noem gave Harvard a 72-hour ultimatum to have its visa privileges restored if it complies with the department’s demands, including requests for records about student visa holders committing illegal activity, threatening other students or engaging in pro-Palestine protests.
“This action should not surprise you and is the unfortunate result of Harvard’s failure to comply with simple reporting requirements,” Noem added.
The Trump administration has cancelled or frozen billions of dollars in funding over allegations that the school violated civil rights law over its treatment of Jewish students and its rejection of the administration’s demands for change.
Harvard is suing the Trump administration to restore the funding, and a spokesman for the school told JNS that the it believes that Noem’s revocation of its visa privileges is unlawful.
“This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” said Jason Newton, director of media relations and communications at Harvard.
“We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the university, and this nation, immeasurably.”
