The administration said the decision was taken amid an ongoing investigation into the university by the Department of Homeland Security.

A letter has been sent to the university by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus”, she wrote in a post on X, adding that it's a “privilege, not a right” to be able to enroll foreign students at the university.

She also said that the higher tuition fees from the foreign students "helps pad their multibillion-dollar endowments".

"Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law," Noem wrote.

However, the letter sent to Harvard University mentioned that if the institution wants the opportunity to regain Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification before the upcoming academic school year, they should provide the information required within "72 hours".