NEW YORK, May 23: Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for its “unlawful and unwarranted” decision to revoke its certification to enrol foreign students. The university claims that without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard. The university has been certified by the federal government to enrol international students under the F-1 visa program for over 70 years and has long been designated as an exchange program sponsor to host J-1 non-immigrants. Harvard has developed programs and degrees tailored to its international students, invested millions to recruit the most talented students, and integrated its international students into all aspects of the Harvard community.
Harvard’s lawsuit alleges that the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the university and its mission. The university argues that Harvard’s certification is essential for each of its thousands of international students to lawfully remain in the US while they complete coursework, obtain degrees, and continue critical research.
The lawsuit comes a day after the Trump administration ordered the Department of Homeland Security to terminate Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. This means Harvard can no longer enrol foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status. Harvard President Alan Garber said that 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, faculty, and student body.” Garber condemned the “ unlawful and unwarranted action” that imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams. (PTI)
