Thousands of international students, including hundreds from Nigeria, are facing growing uncertainty after Harvard University openly defied a series of demands from the Trump administration.
The standoff now threatens the university’s ability to enroll foreign students and maintain its federal funding.
On April 15, 2025, former U.S. President Donald Trump declared on his Truth Social platform that Harvard University should be stripped of its tax-exempt status, alleging the Ivy League institution was promoting “terrorist-supporting ideology” and encouraging a “hostile learning environment” for Jewish students.
“Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds,” Trump posted, following weeks of pressure on the university to comply with sweeping demands.
The White House, backed by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, has since frozen $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard and is threatening to revoke the university’s SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) certification. This could bar it from enrolling international students, including more than 6,700 currently at Harvard, of which Nigerians make up a significant portion.
In a strongly worded letter on April 16, Noem gave Harvard until April 30, 2025, to submit a report detailing alleged “illegal and violent activities” by international students, or risk further sanctions.
The DHS has also cancelled $2.7 million in research grants, citing the university’s “spineless leadership” and failure to meet national security expectations.
“Harvard’s position as a top institution of higher learning is a distant memory,” Noem declared.
However, Harvard University President Alan Garber has refused to bow to pressure, stating that the demands infringe on academic independence and constitutional rights.
“The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” Garber said in a letter to the Harvard community on April 15.
The controversy centers around the administration’s call for universities to ban pro-Palestinian student groups, end DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies, and report on international students allegedly sympathetic to terrorism or antisemitism.
This directive follows similar action against Columbia University, which on March 21 agreed to government-mandated reforms after $400 million in federal funding was withheld.
In contrast, Harvard’s refusal has set the stage for a legal and political showdown that could reshape U.S. higher education policy and jeopardize the futures of thousands of students.
Already, at least 12 Harvard students and alumni have had their student visas revoked, with no clear explanations given. Nationwide, more than 1,320 student visas have been revoked as of April 16, according to data from Inside Higher Ed, with many of those affected reportedly involved in pro-Palestinian activism.
This development is especially worrying for Nigerian students and families, as over 17,000 Nigerian students are currently enrolled in U.S. universities — many in elite institutions like Harvard. The potential loss of visa privileges could have devastating academic and financial consequences.
“I’ve worked so hard to be here. Now I don’t even know if I’ll be able to return next semester,” said a Nigerian graduate student at Harvard who spoke under the condition of anonymity.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama, a Harvard alumnus, has called the federal funding freeze an “unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom,” urging other institutions to “follow suit” and defend their independence.
Legal experts say any move to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status would likely face years of litigation, with Harvard expected to challenge the decision under 26 U.S. Code § 7217, which prohibits the President from influencing IRS audits or investigations.
