On Feb. 18, Swarthmore joined the University of Pennsylvania, Bryn Mawr College, and over twenty other national higher education associations as a co-signatory on an amicus brief supporting a Harvard University lawsuit against the federal government. The suit, which was filed after the Trump administration revoked Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, follows other legal action in response to sweeping cuts to the university’s federal funding.
The dispute began in April 2025, when Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem cut Harvard off from $2.7 million of DHS grants and threatened to strip the university of its SEVP approval. Unless Harvard submitted “detailed records on Harvard’s foreign student visa holders’ illegal and violent activities by April 30,” the certification would be rescinded.
Though many Harvard affiliates urged the university not to comply with Noem’s demands over the following weeks, the university ultimately disclosed information about its international students to the federal government on April 30, citing its obligation to do so under Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
On May 22, however, Noem sent the university a letter announcing that its SEVP certification would be revoked anyway. She wrote that the information submitted on April 30 did not meet the requirements stipulated in her initial request and asserted that her decision would require all of Harvard’s (~7,000) international students to transfer to other institutions in order to maintain their visas.
A DHS press release published the same day argued that the university was plagued by “pro-terrorist agitators … many of [whom] are foreign students.” The release substantiated this claim by citing a recent statement from the Trump administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, which found “pervasive race discrimination” on Harvard’s campus. Notably, the statement made no mention of the university’s international students whatsoever, let alone attributing unrest or violence to this group.
Noem also said that the university’s administration had “let crime rates skyrocket,” referencing the uptick in campus crime in 2022 and 2023 which followed an all-time low in 2021. A Harvard Crimson editorial published in October 2025 refuted this accusation, pointing to university police department data showing a 52% decrease in crime between 2023 and 2024.
The press release alleged that Harvard had participated in “hosting and training members of a [Chinese Communist Party] paramilitary group complicit in the Uyghur genocide.” According to the office of Michigan Congressman Tim Walberg (R), the “training” in question was “called the Flagship Training Event on Health Care Financing,” and “focused on improving [China]’s health care system.” The program hosted members of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a state-owned enterprise and paramilitary organization in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China.
A tense legal battle ensued. Harvard responded to the DHS action with a lawsuit, filing a temporary restraining order (TRO) that prevented the implementation of Noem’s ruling within 24 hours of the initial decree. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs granted the TRO on May 23, prompting a presidential proclamation supporting Noem in early June. Harvard responded to this move by filing a preliminary injunction against the federal government on June 20, which was approved by Judge Burroughs the same day, only to be appealed by the Trump administration one week later.
The case has since remained in legal contention and is currently under consideration by the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The amicus brief that Swarthmore backed earlier this week was filed by the American Council on Education in January 2026. Asked to comment on the college’s support of the brief, President Val Smith provided the following statement to The Phoenix:
“Swarthmore College supports this amicus brief because it aligns with our mission and our deeply held belief that all of us benefit from engaging with diverse perspectives. Every day, our international students enrich our campus community and society more broadly in countless ways. Their experiences and world views deepen our understanding of complex global challenges, strengthen learning for all students, and help create an educational experience that prepares graduates to live and lead thoughtfully in an interconnected world.”
Members of Swarthmore’s international student community expressed their support for the college’s decision.
“Immigration is one of the founding principles of this country,” said Ary Iyer ’28. “When you’re trying to block international students from premier institutions in the States, you stop the inflow of brain power. Besides, it’s just the right thing to do: you can’t just let people bully you because you’re afraid of the repercussions.”
Another international student, who wished to remain anonymous, added that the college’s demonstrations of solidarity are particularly welcome during a time of extreme duress for all Swatties hailing from countries outside of the U.S.:
“Many policies create uncertainty and fear that often go underestimated. I think even small policies cause the rippling effects that no actual data can estimate, and the people who take the consequences are actual families and human beings. I want to thank how much effort and care the [International Student Center and its student-run affinity group] have devoted to ensure everyone feels secure on campus.”
“I’ve never felt like I don’t have resources to support me,” added Iyer. “There are so many different avenues.”
Another anonymous student commented on the relentless pressure that international students experience under the Trump administration. “Some international students I know will not see their home, their friends, and their family for four years or more. And as much as we’d like to speak up about things like this and other things that matter to us, we’re always in constant fear that something bad will happen to us, even if we don’t do anything. I don’t want to say these things anonymously; I’d like to be loud and proud about what I believe in, but I’m scared.”
