DHS Issues Warning on Foreign Enrollment at Harvard and Halts $2.7 Million in Grants

On April 16, Kristi Noem, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), issued a warning that the agency might revoke Harvard University’s authority to enroll foreign students and revealed that $2.7 million in grants would be withdrawn from the institution.

Noem’s decision was linked to Harvard’s actions regarding the pro-Palestinian protests that erupted at the university following Israel’s military response to Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.

The release noted that Noem also sent a letter requesting comprehensive records concerning “illegal and violent activities” conducted by Harvard’s foreign student visa holders by April 30, threatening immediate termination of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification should the university fail to comply.

“If Harvard cannot demonstrate full adherence to its reporting obligations, it will lose the privilege of enrolling foreign students,” the DHS emphasized.

Over a year ago, Harvard was placed under a congressional investigation for allegedly allowing anti-Semitism to flourish on campus—a situation that ultimately led to the resignation of then-Harvard president, Claudine Gay, in January 2024, amidst other accusations of plagiarism.

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Noem remarked that Harvard’s management of anti-Semitic occurrences “poses a risk to our national security.”

“Harvard’s campus is tainted by anti-American, pro-Hamas ideologies, and its former status as a leading educational institution has faded,” Noem stated in the DHS announcement. “Taxpayers expect more from institutions receiving public funding.”

Grants Revoked

The DHS also announced the cancellation of two grants totaling $2.7 million, asserting that they “undermine the values and security of America.”

The first grant, amounting to $800,303, was the Implementation Science for Targeted Violence Prevention program, which “labeled conservatives as far-right dissidents in a disturbingly biased study,” according to the DHS.

The second grant, worth $1,934,902, was for the Blue Campaign Program Evaluation and Violence Advisement, which “supported Harvard’s public health propaganda.”

Elite Institutions Under Scrutiny

This latest action by the DHS is part of a broader initiative by the administration targeting elite universities accused of enabling anti-Semitic and violent behaviors amid a surge of pro-Palestinian protests in 2024.

Recently, federal agencies retracted $2.26 billion in funding from Harvard.

The initial demands included significant governance reforms, creating clear leadership structures, promoting senior and tenured faculty, and curtailing the influence of students and untenured faculty in university governance.

Additonally, they sought an end to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, advocating for merit-based hiring and admissions reforms, insisting that the university “adopt and implement merit-based admissions policies and discontinue all preferences based on race, color, or national origin.”

The administration is also calling for changes to Harvard’s “recruitment, screening, and admissions processes for international students,” aimed at preventing the enrollment of those who are hostile to the American values embedded in the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, including individuals supportive of terrorism or anti-Semitism.

The letter further urged Harvard to enhance its “viewpoint diversity,” requesting that faculty in each department represent a range of perspectives on political and social issues.

In response to these demands, Harvard indicated in a statement on April 14 that they do not plan to comply.

President Donald Trump also remarked in a recent social media post suggesting that Harvard should lose its tax-exempt status, stating that such status is “entirely dependent on serving the public interest.”