A federal judge may have temporarily halted US President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll international students but that has not curbed the fear among international students at Harvard University, who said that they were experiencing “pure panic.”
Harvard student body co-president Abdullah Shahid Sial, from Lahore, Pakistan, told CNN that many students “are very clearly, extremely afraid” and unsure about their legal status. “They’re literally like, teenagers, thousands of miles away from their hometowns having to deal with this situation, which lawyers often fear to engage in,” Sial said.
He said he is working to encourage the university to assist students who may have to transfer, including advocating for financial aid packages to follow them. But most colleges have already closed transfer admissions for the upcoming fall semester.
Sial, who is traveling overseas, added that he is uncertain whether he’ll be allowed to return to campus.
“Harvard is Harvard because it has the ability to attract people – the best people – from all over the world, not just the United States,” Sial told CNN. “The US also benefits heavily from having the best in the world come to the university and study. And then they’ve been dehumanized and disrespected.”
Sial noted that Harvard’s administration and deans have been supportive during this period of uncertainty, which coincides with the end of final exams and precedes graduation by just a week.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s decision, announced on Thursday, could impact over 7,000 students, or about 27 per cent of Harvard’s total student pool, who may be forced to transfer or risk losing their legal status.
Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem has said that remaining students must transfer before the 2025-2026 school year or lose their legal status.
A federal judge temporarily halted the administration’s order on Friday, following a lawsuit filed by Harvard in federal court. The university contended that the revocation of its certification was “clear retaliation” for refusing the federal government’s politically motivated demands.
Harvard said the government's action will have an “immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders.”
“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,” Harvard said in its suit.“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,” Harvard said in its suit.
Karl Molden, from Austria, described the situation as being used as a “ball in this larger fight between democracy and authoritarianism.” Like Sial, Molden is traveling abroad and uncertain if he will be permitted to return.
Jared, an 18-year-old student from New Zealand who was recently accepted to Harvard, told CNN the news was a “heart drop” moment. He had been in the process of applying for a student visa and preparing to relocate to Boston when the announcement was made.
According to a report by The Economic Times, nearly 788 Indian students could be affected by the policy, potentially needing to transfer or face deportation.
Indian students who completed their degrees this semester will still be allowed to graduate.
The administration’s move follows months of growing tensions between the Trump administration and Harvard.
In early April, the university refused to comply with federal demands to restrict pro-Palestinian protests and dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
Since then, several federal agencies, including the DHS and the National Institutes of Health, have cut grant funding to Harvard, impacting research programs.
Harvard filed a suit against the $2 billion in federal funding cuts.
Secretary Noem cited the university’s failure to provide records on foreign students as a key reason for the revocation, accusing Harvard of “perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies and employs racist ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ policies.”
The administration has also accused Harvard of hosting and training members of a Chinese paramilitary group as recently as 2024, and of coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.
Harvard President Alan Garber said earlier this month that the university has implemented new governance policies, including a broader strategy to combat antisemitism, but will not compromise on its “core, legally-protected principles” despite threats of retaliation.
The DHS has demanded that Harvard provide audio, video, and documentation on foreign students involved in protests or any “dangerous activity” on campus within 72 hours, as a condition for regaining its certification.