Harvard University filed a federal lawsuit Friday against the Trump administration after the Department of Homeland Security revoked the Ivy League school's certification to enroll international students, a move that affects more than 7,000 foreign visa holders and threatens the university's global academic profile.
The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, called the decision a "blatant violation of the First Amendment," the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act. The university is seeking a temporary restraining order to block the enforcement of the ban, which was announced Thursday by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
"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 lawsuit stated. "Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard."
DHS said the action was taken because Harvard had "created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students." The department also accused the school of obstructing its "once-venerable learning environment."
The revocation follows a dispute between Harvard and the federal government over access to detailed behavioral and disciplinary records of student visa holders. DHS had demanded the university provide documentation, including protest footage, reports of threats or violence, and disciplinary actions from the last five years. Harvard declined to comply, triggering the 72-hour deadline for revocation.
This "unlawful and unwarranted action" "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 who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dream," said Harvard President Alan Garber in a message to the university community.
The suit alleges that the government's actions are retaliatory, rooted in Harvard's refusal to submit to federal pressure to control the ideology of its faculty and students. it was the "latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights," the filing stated.
The ban prohibits Harvard from enrolling foreign students for the 2025-2026 academic year and requires currently enrolled visa holders to leave the institution or transfer to avoid losing their legal U.S. residency. The abrupt timing of the action-just days before graduation-has drawn sharp criticism from academic leaders and civil rights advocates.
