800+ Indian students in Harvard face deportation as university faces ultimatum from the Trump administration
Cambridge, MA – In a sweeping move with global academic implications, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has revoked Harvard University’s certification to host international students, placing nearly 6,800 students—about 800 of them from India—at immediate risk of deportation. The Ivy League institution now faces a 72-hour deadline to meet federal demands or lose its ability to enroll foreign nationals altogether.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the termination of Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, citing the university’s alleged failure to maintain a safe environment amid anti-American demonstrations and reports of violence linked to international students. The move follows DHS’s recent cancellation of $2.7 million in federal grants previously awarded to the university.
Effective immediately, Harvard is barred from admitting new international students. Current students on F-1 or J-1 visas must swiftly transfer to other SEVP-certified institutions to avoid losing their legal status in the United States. Those who fail to enroll elsewhere face possible visa revocation and deportation.
Harvard’s access to SEVIS—the federal tracking system essential for managing international student records—has also been suspended. Without it, the university cannot legally maintain or report the visa status of its international student population.
The government has outlined six specific compliance requirements Harvard must fulfill within 72 hours to regain SEVP certification. These include turning over all disciplinary records and protest-related footage involving non-immigrant students from the past five years. DHS is demanding complete transparency into incidents of illegal, violent, or threatening behavior, both on and off campus, allegedly involving foreign students.
The decision has sent shockwaves through Harvard’s international community, especially among Indian postgraduate and doctoral students now facing sudden academic and immigration uncertainty.
As the deadline looms, all eyes are on Harvard’s next move—and whether one of the world’s most prestigious universities can recover its standing as a global academic destination.
Category: news
40 
0
Comments