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WTF?! Trump Admin REVOKES Harvard's Ability to Enroll International Students, Citing "Anti-American Agitators"

In a stunning escalation, DHS pulls Harvard's certification for international students, accusing it of fostering violence, antisemitism, and CCP ties. Nearly 7,000 students are now in limbo.

May 22, 2025

Well, if you thought the Trump administration's war on elite universities was just a rhetorical battle, think again. Today, Thursday, May 22nd, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security, under Secretary Kristi Noem, reportedly took the nuclear option: revoking Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, effective immediately.

Yes, you read that right. According to CNN and NPR, citing DHS statements and a scathing letter sent to the university, Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification has been pulled. This means, as DHS bluntly stated, "Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status." We're talking about nearly 7,000 international students – roughly 27% of Harvard's entire student body, hailing from over 140 countries – who are now facing an academic and personal crisis.

Why this sudden, drastic move? According to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's letter and White House statements, it's a cocktail of accusations:

  • Harvard's alleged refusal to turn over conduct records of foreign students requested by DHS last month.

  • The university supposedly "perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist 'diversity, equity and inclusion' policies."

  • The White House piled on, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson telling CNN that Harvard has "turned their once-great institution into a hot-bed of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators" and must "face the consequences."

  • Noem's letter also accuses Harvard of "coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus".

  • And the kicker from Noem: "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."

Harvard, understandably, is reeling. In a statement, the university blasted the action as "unlawful" and "retaliatory," threatening "serious harm to the Harvard community and our country" and undermining its academic and research mission. They've vowed to support their international students and fight to maintain their ability to host them.

This isn't happening in a vacuum. It's a massive escalation in the Trump administration's ongoing clashes with elite universities over campus protests (particularly regarding the Israel-Hamas war), DEI initiatives (which they decry as "illegal and immoral discrimination"), and perceived "anti-American" values. Harvard has clearly become ground zero.

The DHS letter itself, dated today, May 22nd, is a piece of work. It gives Harvard a mere 72 hours to provide an exhaustive list of records if it wants an opportunity to regain certification. This includes "any and all records... regarding illegal activity... dangerous or violent activity... threats... deprivation of rights... disciplinary records... and any and all audio or video footage... of any protest activity involving a nonimmigrant student... in the last five years." They even threw in a warning about criminal prosecution for providing false information. Talk about a fishing expedition under duress!

The potential fallout is immense. Beyond the personal upheaval for thousands of students, professors are warning that "many labs will empty out," and the academic prowess of not just Harvard but American academia as a whole could be debilitated. International students contribute over $43 billion to the U.S. economy annually and are a key source of "soft power," as former Obama official and Harvard professor Jason Furman pointed out, calling the measure "horrendous on every level."

So, the administration is using the "privilege" of enrolling international students as a cudgel to force compliance with its policy demands and ideological litmus tests. The message to other universities is clear: fall in line, or you could be next. This is a breathtaking assertion of federal power over academic institutions, with thousands of students' lives and the future of American higher education caught in the crossfire. It's a truly monumental Daily Dose of WTF.

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