Harvard sues Trump administration after ban on foreign students

New Delhi, May 23: Harvard University is taking the Trump administration to court. On Friday, Harvard University filed a lawsuit in federal court, asking a judge to block the government’s shocking decision to revoke its ability to enroll international students. The university says the move is illegal and politically motivated.

In its court filing, Harvard argues that the Department of Homeland Security’s action violates the law and is a direct attack on the university’s First Amendment rights. The complaint accuses the government of retaliation for Harvard’s refusal to hand over student disciplinary records, end equity initiatives, and allow federal influence over faculty, curriculum, and campus ideology reports international media. “It is the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights,” the lawsuit states, as reported by CNN.

This legal battle is just the latest chapter in a fast-moving and deeply disturbing story for the alumni and present students and staff of Harvard University.

On Thursday, the Trump administration revoked Harvard’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), effectively stripping it of the ability to host international students starting in the 2025–2026 academic year. That means more than 6,700 students, 27% of Harvard’s student body, could lose their legal status in the U.S. unless they transfer or leave the country. The move stunned students and staff alike. With only days before graduation, many international students now face the prospect of being forced out of the country. Others worry they cannot finish their degrees or begin planned jobs and research projects in the U.S.

The administration claimed Harvard failed to comply with federal law by not turning over requested records. However, critics see the move as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to pressure and punish universities that resist its demands. Other institutions, including Columbia University, have also faced intense pressure to change hiring, teaching, and admissions practices in line with federal wishes.

Harvard has refused to give in. It says the government is trying to control how it governs itself, what it teaches, and what values it promotes. In a strong statement, the university called the action “unlawful”. It warned it could cause serious harm not only to Harvard’s community but to the country’s reputation as a beacon of higher learning.

This case matters far beyond Harvard’s gates. If a government can punish a university for disagreeing with it, academic freedom is no longer safe. If international students can be expelled at the stroke of a pen, America loses some of its best minds and much of its moral standing. This is about more than just student visas or Harvard’s prestige. It’s about whether the U.S. will remain a place where education is free from political control, where people from all over the world are welcomed to learn, and where ideas and not ideology shape the future. Harvard is now fighting for those values in court. The question is: will the country stand with it?.