Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump following a controversial decision to revoke the institution’s ability to enroll foreign students — including thousands of Nigerians.
In the suit filed on Friday in federal court in Boston, Harvard accused the federal government of violating the First Amendment and warned that the decision would have an “immediate and devastating impact” on the university and over 7,000 international students currently holding visas.
“With the stroke of a pen, 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 lawsuit stated.
The legal action follows an announcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that it would be revoking Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), the federal program that allows U.S. schools to admit foreign students.
The Trump administration claims Harvard has failed to adequately address antisemitism and implement reforms in its hiring and admissions policies — accusations Harvard has firmly rejected.
Harvard’s international student community numbers around 6,800, accounting for more than 27% of total enrollment. These students hail from over 100 countries and are mostly graduate-level scholars based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The university is now seeking a court injunction to block DHS’s move and reinstate its SEVP certification.
Harvard President Alan Garber condemned the DHS action in a statement:
“We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action. It is part of a broader attempt to punish Harvard for refusing to give up its academic independence and resisting the federal government’s illegal efforts to dictate our curriculum, faculty decisions, and student admissions.”
The Trump administration has increasingly targeted elite universities, accusing them of enabling pro-Palestinian activism and marginalizing conservative perspectives. Harvard and other institutions have pushed back, calling such claims politically motivated.
This isn’t Harvard’s first legal battle with the Trump administration. In April, the White House froze $2.2 billion in federal funding allocated to the university and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status — a common designation for educational institutions in the U.S.
That move also prompted a lawsuit from Harvard, which argued that the funding freeze was unlawful and part of an ongoing campaign of retaliation.
If the revocation of SEVP certification is upheld, Harvard would lose the ability to enroll thousands of foreign students, disrupting academic plans and potentially derailing the careers of many, including numerous Nigerians. The university is now urging the courts to intervene to protect the rights of its international student population.
