Donald Trump-Harvard battle: American Dream of Indian students at risk

Harvard currently hosts around 10,158 international students and scholars across its schools. Of these, 788 -- the second-largest cohort after China -- are from India, according to university data

The Donald Trump administration’s decision to revoke Harvard University’s certification to enrol international students has triggered alarm among Indian education experts, with many warning that it could force thousands of aspiring students to reconsider their higher education plans in the United States (US).

 

Even as a federal judge blocked the Trump administration's move on Friday, the crackdown on the Ivy League university could precipitate an “exodus” of students, ultimately delivering a significant blow to the US economy, said Kalpesh Banker, managing partner at Delhi-based education consultancy EduShine Search Partners.

 

“The battle of prestige between the US administration and university authorities is widely being seen as a matter of ideological autonomy, with no solutions in sight as of now,” he said. 

 

Harvard currently hosts 10,158 international students and scholars across its schools. Of these, 788 — the second-largest cohort — are from India, according to university data. China tops the list with 2,126 students.

 

The development followed an order by US Secretary of Homeland Security Kirsti Noem, who instructed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to revoke the Ivy League university’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification beginning with the 2025–26 academic year.  

 

According to the DHS, the move came after Harvard allegedly refused to provide information on certain foreign students involved in protest activities. 

 

The department also terminated grants to the tune of $2.7 million to the university last month.

 

The termination of SEVP certification meant Harvard could no longer sponsor F-1 or J-1 visas for incoming international students from the 2025–26 session. Existing visa holders would have needed to transfer to other SEVP-certified institutions to remain in the country legally.

 

The F-1 visa is granted to full-time students at accredited US colleges or universities, while J-1 visas cater to those approved for cultural and educational exchange programmes.

 

Mamta Shekhawat, founder of education platform Gradding.com, said the implications are stark, if the Trump administration continued to put pressure on Harvard. “Students will be left with no choice but to transfer to another institute, or risk losing their legal status in the US.”

 

She warned that this move could be a precursor to similar crackdowns at other universities, “resulting in the shutting down of the global talent entry channel to the US, especially in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects.”

 

The uncertainty has placed students in a state of limbo -- those preparing to enrol this summer, those midway through their courses, and those nearing graduation, whose work prospects hinge on student visa continuity.

 

 “The US administration’s move to first freeze funding and then remove Harvard’s ability to enrol international students may force students to look at other countries, as one cannot predict how President Trump may react in the future,” a professor of international studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) told Business Standard.

 

Banker echoed the sentiment, warning that the decision could have lasting consequences. “This might dissuade future Indian applicants from considering Harvard altogether,” he said.

 

Harvard, for its part, called the move “unlawful” and sued the Trump administration. Acting on the lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts federal court, a judge imposed a temporary restraining order, stopping the government from pulling Harvard's SEVP certification.

 

According to a report by the Associated Press, the lawsuit by the university argued that the Trump regime’s action violated the First Amendment (which protects fundamental freedoms from government interference) and due process rights, among others. 

 

“We are aware of the DHS order to terminate Harvard’s SEVP certification for the 2025–26 academic year,” the university said in a statement on its website. “Harvard is committed to maintaining our ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the university and this nation.”