Harvard Forced to Turn Over Records on Foreign Students Amid DHS Subpoenas

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Harvard faces subpoenas from DHS over failure to provide foreign student records tied to visa and misconduct investigations.

Harvard University will now be compelled to provide federal authorities with information related to its foreign students following a new enforcement action by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The agency issued administrative subpoenas after the university repeatedly refused previous requests for documentation tied to its Student Visitor and Exchange Program (SEVP).

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According to DHS, Harvard failed to comply with voluntary information requests dating back to April 2025 concerning allegations of visa abuse and potential misconduct involving nonimmigrant students. As a result, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has formally demanded access to records, communications, and documents dating from January 1, 2020. The investigation stems from concerns that certain foreign students may have exploited their visa status to engage in or promote acts of violence or terrorism on campus.

Federal officials noted that Harvard had been warned of the consequences of noncompliance. In May 2025, DHS terminated the university’s SEVP certification, effectively barring it from enrolling foreign students on student visas. The issuance of subpoenas represents the department’s next legal step to compel the release of information and pursue immigration enforcement actions.

This development signals a shift in federal enforcement posture under the current administration of President Donald Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Other academic institutions with international student populations are now likely to face similar scrutiny. Universities may need to reevaluate how they manage visa-related compliance to avoid losing SEVP certification, which would limit their ability to enroll foreign nationals.

Article by multiple contributors, based upon information from a U.S. Department of Homeland Security press release.

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