Harvard University has become the epicentre of a growing row between Donald Trump’s administration and academia, with concerning implications for migration and human rights, academic freedom and research.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from revoking the university’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification.
This happened after Harvard filed a lawsuit in federal court on May 23 in response to a letter from the homeland security secretary that said revoking the certification prohibits the university from sponsoring F- and J- visas for the 2025-26 academic year. Both international students and visiting international scholars rely on these visas.
As a Canadian academic, I was on a J- visa until recently, in a faculty associate role I have held for the past three years.
Luckily, I have my main job in Canada and years of experience to fall back on. More than 7,000 students on similar visas are not so lucky.
Harvard is where, after six years of work across some of the world’s most difficult borders, I finished writing my book, The Walls Have Eyes: Surviving Migration in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.
In my work, I study the impacts of immigration laws and policies on people’s lives, particularly how new technologies are being used to make determinations about who is allowed to stay and who is detained and deported.
Read more: Increased surveillance at the Canada-U.S. border means more asylum seekers could die
Visa revocations are becoming an increasingly weaponized part of the U.S. immigration system, a new social sorting coupled with innovations like the surveillance of social media to make determinations about who is allowed to stay.
Student futures, research in jeopardy
With this directive, on the heels of other interventions, the futures of thousands of scholars and students are in jeopardy, as is the academic freedom of universities to conduct research.
Read more: Three scientists speak about what it's like to have research funding cut by the Trump administration
International students in particular are being singled out by the Trump administration in a short-sighted attempt to sanction the university after it refused to capitulate to the demands to gut its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) office, even facing cuts to its funding.
In April 2025, Trump spoke about cutting off all federal funding to Harvard: “Wouldn’t that be cool?” the president said in a private interaction at the White House, according to the New York Times.
International students pay exorbitant tuition rates for a chance at a prestigious degree and prospects for longer-term employment and building a new life. They are already vulnerable to changing immigration regimes, exploitation and uncertain futures.
Will students be forced to return to their home countries or risk becoming swallowed up by the increasingly draconian immigration regime of the United States? It is unclear what, if any, measures exist to safeguard the continuity of their education and their immigration status that is inherently tied to their student visa.
Read more: Deadly border technologies are increasingly employed to violently deter migration
Bellwether for what may happen elsewhere
Harvard is a powerful academic institution, supporting research with global significance, and a bellwether for what may happen at other universities. This type of escalation heralds a deeply concerning broader attack on academic freedom, scientific research and teaching and learning. Such attacks are a hallmark of fascism.
As some high-profile U.S. faculty move to Canada, it’s likely Canada may see an uptick of international students as well in the years to come.
The Economist warns that the U.S. is in danger of a brain drain, citing a marked decrease in the numbers of professors and PhD candidates seeking opportunities in the U.S. in April 2025.
While universities are far from perfect places, full of their own blind spots and power dynamics, they can be spaces that allow us the opportunity to exchange ideas, debate one another and dream together of building a different world.
Harvard, with its massive endowment and decades’ long reputation, has proven to be a worthy adversary to Trump, with the university’s administration vowing to continue fighting to protect its student body and academic freedom in this latest onslaught.
Importance of global collaboration and exchange
International students and faculty are vital to the richness and rigour of university life and research, bringing diverse perspectives, experiences and methodologies that deepen scholarly inquiry and expand the boundaries of knowledge.
Our presence fosters cross-cultural understanding and collaboration.
We enhance the global relevance and impact of research and teaching where people can thrive, innovate and help address the complex challenges facing our interconnected world — precisely the type of environment more and more governments are threatened by and trying to stifle.
Petra Molnar is a Faculty Associate at Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
