The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Wednesday (July 9th) that it has issued an administrative subpoena to Harvard University, requesting information on international students.
In a press release issued on that day, the department stated that Harvard University has “repeatedly refused” the government’s “non-coercive” requests, refusing to provide the information required for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated in a press release, “We have attempted to work with Harvard in a cooperative manner, but given their refusal to cooperate, we have had to take a tougher approach to address the issue.”
The statement criticized Harvard for “tolerating visa abuse by foreign students, advocating violence and terrorism on campus,” and stated, “If Harvard is unwilling to defend the interests of its students, we are willing to do so.”
Refusal to comply with administrative subpoenas can lead to serious consequences such as civil penalties, criminal charges, contempt of court, and audits and inspections of relevant organizations.
Harvard University, in a statement on Wednesday, rebuked the subpoena as “unwarranted,” but stated that they “commit to comply with the law…continue to cooperate with lawful requests, and fulfill obligations.”
The statement also mentioned, “Harvard University will continue to defend its interests, its students, faculty, and staff…steadfastly strive to protect its community and core principles…resist harmful government overreach…and avoid baseless retaliation by the federal government.”
The statement further criticized the Trump administration for “overreaching…aiming to dictate whom private universities can admit and employ, and what content they can teach.”
In October 2023, the radical Palestinian Hamas organization launched an attack on Israel, sparking the Gaza War. Subsequently, pro-Hamas anti-Jewish protests erupted at prestigious U.S. universities, including Harvard, and the SEVP became a crucial issue that the Trump administration urgently wanted to address in its second term.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem had requested Harvard in April to provide information on criminal activities and misconduct by the school’s students, or else the SEVP program of the school would be canceled. In May, the Department of Homeland Security officially revoked Harvard’s SEVP, preventing the school from issuing student visas and admitting international students, affecting approximately one-fourth of Harvard’s students.
Harvard then filed a lawsuit called “President and Fellows of Harvard College v. DHS,” accusing the Trump administration of unconstitutionally blocking the SEVP decision as a form of retaliation. U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs in Massachusetts approved Harvard’s request for a temporary restraining order. The current restraining order allows Harvard to continue issuing visa documents and enrolling students through SEVP.
Furthermore, on Wednesday, the Trump administration warned Harvard’s accrediting agency that due to the way the university is handling campus anti-Semitism, Harvard University may no longer meet accreditation standards.
The U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have informed the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) that Harvard University has violated federal anti-discrimination laws and is at risk of losing accreditation. They urge the accrediting agency to work with Harvard to resolve this issue; otherwise, if Harvard fails to comply, its accreditation will be revoked.
Accreditation is a method of evaluating the quality of higher education institutions by independent agencies. If a school loses accreditation, students may lose access to federal financial aid, and other institutions may not recognize their transfer credits or degrees.