Dreams in limbo: Harvard flooded with transfer requests as Donald Trump’s crackdown rattles international students

Harvard University is grappling with a wave of panic and transfer requests from foreign students after US President Donald Trump administration’s crackdown sought to block the school from hosting international scholars, according to new court filings.Maureen Martin, the university’s director of immigration services, said in a sworn statement Wednesday that “too many international students to count” have reached out about transferring to other universities, amid mounting fears over their legal status and safety in the US.“Harvard has been inundated with questions from current international students and scholars about their status and options,” Martin said.The prestigious Ivy League institution has been thrust into the eye of a legal storm after President Donald Trump’s administration moved to revoke its ability to host foreign students and researchers. While a judge temporarily blocked that move last week following a Harvard lawsuit, the uncertainty has triggered widespread “fear, concern, and confusion” on campus.More than 27% of Harvard’s 2024–25 student body consists of international students, according to university data. The sudden shift in policy has left many of them reeling.“Many international students and scholars are reporting significant emotional distress that is affecting their mental health and making it difficult to focus on their studies,” Martin noted.The Trump administration’s actions are part of a broader push against US universities, which the president accuses of obstructing his “Make America Great Again” agenda. His administration has suspended student visa processing across the board and targeted foreign-born campus activists for deportation.The ripple effects have already begun:Some international students skipped graduation ceremonies out of fear they wouldn’t be allowed to re-enter the country.At least 10 students or scholars at Harvard had their visa applications suddenly rejected, even if previously approved.Even domestic students are looking to transfer out, expressing discomfort with a version of Harvard that might lose its global identity.Martin also noted that despite a judge suspending the federal block, the rejected visa applications have not been reinstated.A hearing in the case is scheduled for Thursday, with Harvard seeking a full reversal of what it calls an “unconstitutional and discriminatory” act.