Harvard University has filed a federal lawsuit against the administration of United States President Donald Trump over international student ban at the Ivy League Institution.
This comes after Harvard’s international student enrollment ban was announced on May 22, 2025, by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Since the announcement, the move sparked widespread concerns over the future of international students in the prestigious institution.
Fighting back against the move, Harvard filed a complaint before the Boston federal court.
The institution, in the lawsuit, described the international student ban announcement by Trump’s administration as a ‘blatant violation’ of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.
It also said the revocation had an “immediate and devastating effect” on the university and more than 7,000 visa holders.
It was also gathered that Harvard’s lawsuit against Trump’s administration has been assigned to US District Judge Allison Burroughs.
In a separate statement, Harvard’s President, Alan Garber, has declared that the institution will not surrender to what he described as ‘unlawful’ and ‘unwarranted’ retaliation by Trump’s administration.
The statement reads in part: “The revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence and to submit to the federal government’s illegal assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body.
“We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action. It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities across the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfil their dreams.”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the Trump administration’s decision to strip Harvard of its Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification stemmed from a months-long standoff.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem justified the action, claiming Harvard failed to provide requested records on international students involved in “misconduct” or protests deemed “illegal” or “antisemitic.”
The administration also accused the university of fostering a “hostile” environment for Jewish students and promoting “pro-Hamas sympathies” while criticizing its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
Earlier this year, the administration froze $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts, targeting Harvard’s funding over alleged failures to address antisemitism and comply with policy demands.
However, Harvard had consistently denied any wrongdoing.
