Updated 23 May 2025 at 20:07 IST
New Delhi: Harvard University on Friday filed a lawsuit against the U.S. administration over its abrupt decision to revoke the university’s eligibility to enroll international students.
The government’s action, carried out under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), could immediately affect over 6,000 international students currently enrolled at Harvard roughly 27.3% of its total student body for the 2024–2025 academic year.
In a strongly worded statement, Harvard President Dr. Alan M. Garber slammed the decision as "unlawful and unwarranted," adding that the university had filed a legal petition for a temporary restraining order to block the revocation.
“It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country,” Garber said.
“We will do everything in our power to support our students and scholars,” he added.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, argues that the federal government's move violates the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act.
Harvard claims the revocation is in clear retaliation for the university’s refusal to comply with political demands from the Trump administration, including efforts to place the private university under federal oversight.
“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body—international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,” the suit reads.
Harvard noted that it has held certification to enroll students under the F-1 visa program for over 70 years. The government revoked that certification “without process or cause,” the lawsuit states.
The Trump administration has claimed that Harvard failed to provide information requested by the Department of Homeland Security, but the university insists it complied fully with legal requirements.
This is not the first time Harvard has taken legal action against the Trump administration. In April, it challenged the freezing of \$2.3 billion in federal funding. The current lawsuit adds to mounting tension over what Harvard sees as a broader effort to undermine academic independence.
“The revocation was 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,” the university said.
Published 23 May 2025 at 18:14 IST