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In an unprecedented escalation, Harvard University, one of the world's most prestigious universities, announced its intention to sue the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's decision to revoke the university's accreditation under the international students and visitors program.

The decision by Harvard's administration comes amid an intense dispute between the U.S. administration and the university, which the former accuses of "promoting violence and anti-Semitism and coordinating with foreign entities," while Harvard describes these actions as "retaliatory and illegal" aimed at undermining its academic independence.

According to the British newspaper "Daily Mail," the Department of Homeland Security's decision, announced by its Secretary Kristi Noem, prevents Harvard from enrolling new international students and requires about 6,800 international students, who make up approximately 27% of the total students for the 2024-2025 academic year, to transfer their enrollment to other universities or face losing their legal status in the United States.

This action follows months of tensions, during which the administration demanded that Harvard provide detailed records of international students' behavior, including disciplinary records and video recordings of campus protests, demands that the university rejected as violations of privacy and interference in its affairs.

In an official statement, the university's president, Alan Garber, described the U.S. administration's decision as a "flagrant violation of the U.S. Constitution," noting that it violates the First Amendment related to freedom of expression, principles of due process, and administrative procedure laws. Harvard confirmed that it provided some of the requested information in April 2025, but the department deemed it "insufficient," demanding comprehensive records within just 72 hours to restore accreditation.

In a preemptive move, Harvard filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Massachusetts on Friday, May 23, 2025, seeking a court order to halt the department's decision, arguing that the action threatens to "change the identity of the university," which attracts students from over 140 countries.

Escalating Crisis

Tensions between the Trump administration and Harvard have escalated since April 2025, when the administration froze federal grants worth $2.2 billion and halted contracts worth $60 million, accusing the university of "failing to combat anti-Semitism" during pro-Palestine protests on campus, and "non-compliance" with demands that included the cancellation of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and conducting audits of faculty opinions.

Secretary Noem also accused Harvard of "coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party," without providing public evidence. Harvard responded by filing a previous lawsuit against the grant freeze, and it is now countering what it described as an "unprecedented attack" on academic freedoms.