Harvard President Alan Garber addressed the Ivy League community in a letter after it was announced Friday morning that the university is suing the Trump administration over its decision to bar Harvard from enrolling foreign students.
"Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard," the university said in a social media post.
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WATCH HEREGarber's letter goes on to outline the Harvard's support for its international students and scholars, while condemning the federal government for its "unlawful and unwarranted action" that "imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard."
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SIGN UP In a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Boston, Harvard said the government’s action violates the First Amendment and 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.
The school said it filed for a temporary restraining order to block the Department of Homeland Security from carrying out the move.
A federal judge in Boston blocked the Trump administration from "implementing, instituting, maintaining or giving effect to the revocation" of Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program, meaning international students can remain enrolled at Harvard for now. A hearing on the matter has been scheduled for Tuesday.
Read Harvard's full lawsuit filed against Trump administration below:
Garber said as Harvard pursues legal remedies for this "unlawful and unwarranted action" that "imperils the futures of thousands of students and schools across Harvard," the university will do everything in its power to support its students and scholars.
Harvard enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Most are graduate students and they come from more than 100 countries.
"For those international students and scholars affected by yesterday’s action, know that you are vital members of our community. You are our classmates and friends, our colleagues and mentors, our partners in the work of this great institution," Garber wrote. "Thanks to you, we know more and understand more, and our country and our world are more enlightened and more resilient. We will support you as we do our utmost to ensure that Harvard remains open to the world."
The move has thrown campus into disarray days before graduation, Harvard said in the suit. International students who run labs, teach courses, assist professors and participate in Harvard sports are now left deciding whether to transfer or risk losing legal status to stay in the country, according to the filing.
The impact is heaviest at graduate schools such as the Harvard Kennedy School, where almost half the student body comes from abroad, and Harvard Business School, which is about one-third international.
Along with its impact on current students, the move blocks thousands of students who were planning to come for summer and fall classes.
Speaking at an unrelated event Friday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said she was "really glad" to see that Harvard had filed a lawsuit and is fighting back.
"It's another example of illegal and seemingly unconstitutional actions that the federal administration is taking, and its a direct attack on Boston and on our communities as well," the mayor said. "I am especially thinking about the many, many international students who come here, who are involved in our city, who are contributing to Boston and so many of the things that make our city special from research to volunteering or being involved in part of the fabric of who we are. So for these students, Boston is your home, too, and we are going to stand with Harvard as they fight this."
Read Alan Garber's full letter to Harvard community below:
Supporting Our International Students and Scholars
Dear Members of the Harvard Community,
Yesterday, the federal government announced that it has revoked Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and stripped the University of its authority to sponsor F- and J- visas for international students and scholars for the 2025-26 academic year. The revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence and to submit to the federal government’s illegal assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body.
We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action. It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams. We have just filed a complaint, and a motion for a temporary restraining order will follow. As we pursue legal remedies, we will do everything in our power to support our students and scholars. The Harvard International Office will provide periodic updates as new information becomes available.
The government has claimed that its destructive action is based on Harvard’s failure to comply with requests for information from the US Department of Homeland Security. In fact, Harvard did respond to the Department’s requests as required by law.
For those international students and scholars affected by yesterday’s action, know that you are vital members of our community. You are our classmates and friends, our colleagues and mentors, our partners in the work of this great institution. Thanks to you, we know more and understand more, and our country and our world are more enlightened and more resilient. We will support you as we do our utmost to ensure that Harvard remains open to the world.
Sincerely, Alan M. Garber
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The Associated Press contributed to this report
