Trump administration warns of halting foreign student admissions at Harvard, revoking its tax-exempt status

Additional grants worth over $2.7 million also terminated after Ivy League institution refuses to bow the knee

Skirmish between one of America's most famous universities and the Donald Trump administration ratcheted up Wednesday in a pincer maneuver on Harvard.

The Homeland Security Department promised to withdraw Harvard's privilege of admitting foreign students and the Internal Revenue Service was said to be planning to take away the Ivy League varsity's tax-free status.

The conflict between one of America's most famous universities and the Donald Trump administration reached a fever pitch Wednesday with a pincer attack on Harvard.

The Department of Homeland Security threatened to withdraw Harvard's privilege to admit foreign students and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was said to be making arrangements to strip the Ivy League varsity of its tax-exempt status.

The DHS threatened action if Harvard did not submit by April 30 records on "illegal and violent" activities by its international student visa holders.

A last judgment in revoking the university's tax-exempt status is imminent, CNN news stated. 

The news follows a day after Trump pledged to pull the tax-exempt status from the university and stated Harvard should apologize after the varsity denied what it described as illegal demands to redesign academic programs or risk federal grants.

The Trump government also revoked grants amounting to over $2.7 million given to Harvard University. This followed a freeze on $2.2 billion in federal funding due to the fact that the university had refused to accept a list of demands.

"DHS Secretary Kristi Noem released two DHS grants worth more than $2.7 million from Harvard University, stating it was not worthy of being trusted with taxpayers' money," the DHS announced in a release on Wednesday.

"The Secretary also penned a stern letter calling for complete records of Harvard's foreign student visa holders' illicit and violent conduct by April 30, 2025, or risk immediate termination of Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification," it added.

"Harvard bending the knee to antisemitism — a function of its spineless leadership — propagates a cesspool of extremist riots and imperils our national security," said Secretary Noem.

"With anti-American, pro-Hamas ideology infecting its campus and classrooms, Harvard's reputation as an institution of higher learning is now a fond memory. America expects better from colleges holding taxpayer money," he added.

The DHS threatened to enforce action if Harvard did not make available by April 30 files on the "illegal and violent" activities of its international student visa holders.

A decision whether or not to revoke the tax-exempt status of the university will soon be made, according to CNN.

The DHS stated the grants cancelled were the $800,303 Implementation Science for Targeted Violence Prevention grant and the $1,934,902 Blue Campaign Program Evaluation and Violence Advisement grant.

Since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, Harvard's foreign visa-holding rioters and faculty have "spewed antisemitic hate", focusing on Jewish students, the statement claimed.

"With a $53.2 billion endowment, Harvard can pay for its own mayhem—DHS won't," the statement said.

"If Harvard can't confirm it is in complete compliance with its reporting requirements, the university will forfeit the privilege of admitting foreign students," the statement continued.

Foreign students (6,793) make up 27.2 per cent of Harvard's enrollment in the 2024-25 academic year.