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Outgoing College Dean Rakesh Khurana declined to say whether Harvard would provide the United States Department of Homeland Security information on international students’ disciplinary records and protest participation in a Tuesday interview with The Crimson.
The Department of Homeland Security threatened to revoke Harvard’s eligibility to host international students in a letter to University officials on April 16, unless administrators submit information about their compliance with campus policies.
“The University and the College will follow the law,” Khurana said, referring all questions about Harvard’s obligations to the Office of the General Counsel and the Harvard International Office.
The DHS requests include information regarding each visa holder’s “known deprivation of rights of other classmates” and “obstruction of the school’s learning environment,” along with any disciplinary actions “taken as a result of making threats to other students or populations or participating in protests.”
Unlike its response to several other government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and Department of Justice, Harvard did not include the DHS in its lawsuit on Monday, which accused the White House of targeted and unconstitutional funding threats.
While the lawsuit references the DHS threat as “part of a broader effort by the Government to punish Harvard for protecting its constitutional rights,” top University officials have not publicly responded directly to the information requests. Harvard has until April 30 to respond.
Seven current students and five recent graduates have had their visas revoked as part of the Trump administration’s campaign to use immigration policies to punish pro-Palestine protesters and deport undocumented residents.
More than 6,500 international students are currently enrolled in degree programs at Harvard. If the DHS successfully revokes Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification — a threat made in their letter last week — the majority of those students will be unable to study at Harvard.
Khurana did not answer repeated questions about whether College officials had discussed the possibility that Harvard’s SEVP status could be revoked.
“The College is in regular contact with the HIO to make sure that our international students are well supported and informed about the evolving situation,” Khurana said.
“I recognize the anxiety and stress that many members of our international community are facing,” Khurana said. “I want to encourage people to reach out to the Harvard International Office to have their questions addressed.”
Amid confusion about what information Harvard may be willing to divulge, international students have expressed growing concerns that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials might arrest students on campus — an action taken at other universities, but not yet reported at Harvard.
While more than 500 people rallied against the Trump administration in Harvard Yard on April 17, allegations spread quickly that ICE agents were present in the Yard. Two Harvard University Police Department officers at the protest said they were not aware of any ICE presence in the Yard, though neither University nor HUPD officials issued clarifying statements.
On Tuesday, Khurana said he did not know whether the College would be alerted if ICE officials arrive on Harvard’s campus.
“I am not aware about the protocols that the Department of Homeland Security follows,” he said.
ICE officials can enter public areas of a university campus without a warrant or prior notice, but must have a warrant or consent from an authorized university official to enter private spaces.
HUPD “expects” ICE to notify them before taking any enforcement action on campus, according to a recently added HIO Immigration Frequently Asked Questions page.
Khurana encouraged international students to reach out to the HIO, which has been hosting “Know Your Rights” information sessions, and the Harvard Law School Immigration and Refugee Clinic regarding specific questions. HIRC sessions have been held in some undergraduate Houses in recent weeks.
“Students, whether they are from Massachusetts, New England, the rest of the United States, all benefit from the presence of our international community,” Khurana said. “This is what allows Harvard to say that it’s a world class institution — because the world also comes to Harvard.”
—Staff writer Samuel A. Church can be reached at samuel.church@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @samuelachurch.
—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava can be reached at cam.srivastava@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @camsrivastava.
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