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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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There has been a chill in the air at Harvard University since President Donald Trump began his unprecedented attack on the college.
Harvard University is going toe-to-toe against the administration in a high-stakes legal clash and many students have been left in a state of uncertainty as their futures are clouded by the White House's actions.
"I am incredibly afraid," Alfred Williamson, a Harvard student from Wales, currently studying in Denmark, told Newsweek. "The day of my acceptance was the happiest day of my life. Now that opportunity is being stripped away from us."
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In addition to pulling nearly $3 billion in federal grants, the administration has accused Harvard of antisemitism stemming from pro-Palestine protests and collusion with the Chinese Communist Party. Chinese nationals account for about 20 percent of Harvard's international student body.
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Trump has demanded sweeping reforms such as ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, reforming student discipline policies, and implementing a mask ban.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that Harvard should be held accountable for "fostering violence, antisemitism and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party" on its campus.
The Trump administration said it would pull the certification for Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which allows the university to enroll international students. A judge issued a temporary restraining order to halt the new policy, but uncertainty looms large.
"Harvard University has turned its campus into a hotbed of antisemitic, pro-terrorist agitators that pose a threat to the safety of all students," Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, told Newsweek.
"It has repeatedly failed to take action to address the violence and radicalism on campus, refused to share relevant information about foreign students' illegal or dangerous activities with DHS, and entangled itself with foreign adversaries. International students who are here for the right reasons should be furious with Harvard."
The billion-dollar dispute between the university and the White House has sent shockwaves across campus and beyond, igniting widespread fear and frustration among students.
"It feels incredibly dehumanizing. We have been caught in the crossfire between two entities that are far more powerful than ourselves, and it feels like we are being used like pawns in a game we cannot control. The White House is making decisions about our futures that we fought so hard for," Williamson said.
"People are scared because they do not know what will happen; they may never get to set foot on Harvard's campus again, which is a terrifying prospect when you've fought your whole life for that opportunity."
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Williamson said he is clinging on to hope that Harvard will win this fight, adding that many international students worked tirelessly for their place at the institution. He has discussed potential transfer options with friends at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the U.K. as a last resort. He described his time at Harvard as the best year of his life and said he is determined not to give up on that opportunity without exhausting every option.
'Lifeblood of the Campus'
Harvard College student body president Caleb Thompson, a U.S. citizen from Colorado, describes the atmosphere on campus as one of rare unity.
"Rarely do 95-plus percent of Harvard students agree on something," he said.
Williamson said that individuals across the political spectrum share concerns about the issues. He added that people have overcome their differences to unite in defense of academic freedom and the rights of international students. He says there is a common consensus that the unjustified targeting of international students is harmful.
Thompson, who shares accommodation with eight international students, emphasized how central they are to Harvard's culture: "Harvard would not be Harvard without its international students. They are the lifeblood of our campus."
"I'm really proud of the way that Harvard has stood up against this move by Trump," he added.
"When the government is allowed to go into private institutions and dictate the way that they are run and dictate who gets to say what, when that is not democracy, that is not freedom of thought."
Jack Masliah, a fourth-year international student from Mexico studying at Northeastern University, says Trump's actions go far beyond Harvard.
"This was not an attack against Harvard's international student community; it was an attack against all university students—international and American."
He warns the move jeopardizes U.S. innovation and global prestige.
"It shows that this administration does not really understand—or doesn't really care about—the impact these universities have on the American economy, on the country's global prestige, and on the advancement of this country's technological dominance.
He told Newsweek that students have been canceling travel plans, limiting what they post on social media, and withdrawing opinion pieces from campus publications over fears of reprisal.
Harvard Community Pushing Back
Behind the fear lies a growing resistance. Students are pushing back to defend the integrity and inclusivity of higher education.
"The attempt to revoke Harvard's ability to bring in international students has felt like a real turning point; it was the moment where international students—as well as our American peers—realized the extreme measures this administration is willing to take to get what they want," Masliah said.
The administration's actions, including the revocation of thousands of student visas, have drawn concern over infringements on free speech, while proponents view the move as a long overdue federal response to concerns over antisemitism.
"You also cannot claim to be a proponent of free speech, the freedom of expression, and the freedom of assembly and want to shut down Harvard when it stands up to you," Thompson said.
"Cracking down on anyone who opposes you and doing so in a vindictive manner is what an authoritarian does, and that's not acceptable, and that's not how things work in a democratic society," he added.
For now, life on campus remains tense for students, the legal battle remains unresolved, and thousands of international students are left in limbo. But one thing is for certain: the Harvard community isn't backing down from this fight.
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