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Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy M. Weinstein condemned the revocation of student and alumni visas in a Friday afternoon email to HKS affiliates, describing the moment as “uncertain and frightening.”

Weinstein’s email came just one day after the Harvard International Office announced that seven more Harvard students and alumni had their visas revoked in recent days. A total of 12 Harvard students and recent graduates have been caught up in the Trump administration’s recent push to strip international students of their visa status — only a small fraction of the more than 600 people affected nationwide.

Harvard, like many other universities, was not notified of the changes to students’ status, nor was it given reasons for the visa revocations, according to messages from the Harvard International Office.

“The continued revocation of student visas without notice or explanation deeply concerns me,” Weinstein wrote in his Friday email.

Harvard has not publicly identified the students whose visas were revoked nor stated what schools they attend.

The Kennedy School is the most international school at Harvard, and more than 180 HKS students signed a Thursday open letter calling on Weinstein and Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 to fortify support for international students.

In his email, Weinstein praised the geographic diversity of HKS students, staff, and faculty, noting that they “come from more than 100 countries.”

“The perspectives and experiences that each of you bring to our campus enrich our learning environment, deepen our scholarly insights, and increase our impact in the world,” Weinstein wrote. “Our School and our community are better because you are here.”

Weinstein’s email marks the most direct public response yet to the visa revocations by a top Harvard official. Some HKS affiliates say Weinstein — who has only held his deanship since July — has won broad support at the school by being willing to more straightforwardly address Harvard’s political crisis than some of his peers.

Thursday’s student letter asked that Weinstein and Garber refuse to share students’ information with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Custom Enforcement, and other federal agencies “unless absolutely required by law.” It also requested that Harvard monitor students’ visa status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, immediately notify them of changes, and provide legal resources to ensure they can finish their degrees.

Weinstein did not respond to the demands in his email. But he affirmed that he was committed to international students, writing that “wherever you might call home, your presence at HKS is deeply valued and your well-being is our top priority.”

Harvard is currently checking SEVIS on a daily basis. The University has repeatedly referred students to existing guidelines asking them to contact Harvard’s police and legal office if approached by immigration agents. But University officials have declined to say whether Harvard has been involved in providing legal support for students whose visas were revoked.

—Staff writer Elise A. Spenner can be reached at elise.spenner@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @EliseSpenner.

—Staff writer Tanya J. Vidhun can be reached at tanya.vidhun@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @tanyavidhun.